Volodymyr Chubirko: “In Transcarpathia, the public sector should become energy self-sufficient”

On Friday, at the regular session of the Regional Council, it is planned to adopt the Strategy of substitution of natural gas in boiler rooms of public sector institutions in Transcarpathian region for alternative fuels and electricity for 2015-2020.

According to the Institute of Renewable Energy, Transcarpathian region can provide itself with renewable forms of energy at 253%. Scientists believe that the most viable option is alternative forms of heating (wood wastes) and electricity (installation of thermal storage heating equipment).  In terms of timber resources, the region ranks first in Ukraine.

 Today, the dependence on natural gas in the region is very high – 87%. Consumption of wood for heating accounts for only 8% and coal – 5%. The public sector of Transcarpathia consumes only 4.6% of the total energy consumed. Therefore, to make these institutions use alternative heating would not be a difficult task.

During the analysis, it was found out that the cost of natural gas in average prices of the year 2013 is about UAH 80 million, in average prices of the year 2014 – more than UAH 90 million. In case of partial (70%) replacement of natural gas with alternative fuel (fuel pellets) at the average price of 1200 UAH per 1 cubic meter, the total cost of fuel will be UAH 56 million. The annual savings from the implementation of the strategy will be UAH 34 million.

Currently, 81 of the 1148 boiler rooms of the public sector institutions of the region run on alternative fuels. The first phase of the implementation of the strategy should be completed by the end of this year.Boiler rooms of the public sector institutions, that require urgent retrofitting for alternative heating, will be replaced.