Lviv is continuing preparations for the heating season and for possible emergencies in winter. Municipal medical facilities and schools are checking the operation of solid-fuel boilers, building up fuel stocks and strengthening the energy resilience of social infrastructure sites.
According to Lviv City Council, all municipal hospitals are equipped with solid-fuel boilers that can provide heating even in the absence of electricity and gas. Backup boiler houses make it possible to maintain an appropriate indoor temperature and, if necessary, to set up heating points on the basis of educational institutions.
«When do we start the heating season in Lviv? As a rule, we are guided by the weather: the average daily temperature must remain at +8°C or lower for three days. Hospitals, schools and nurseries will, if necessary, be connected earlier. But today, preparing for winter is not only about when to switch the heating on. We must be ready for a situation where, due to an enemy attack or an accident, the main system temporarily does not work. That is why we are preparing and testing alternative sources of heat. All our medical facilities have them. Backup boiler houses make it possible to provide heating and, if necessary, to set up heating centres in educational institutions. It is important for us to guarantee that all our medical facilities will be warm. I am confident about the medical institutions — they all have backup heating,» — Andriy Sadovyi
To keep these boiler houses running, the city has stockpiled firewood in advance. The fuel is stored in appropriate conditions so that it will last for at least a month of uninterrupted operation of the backup heating systems.
In medical facilities, solid-fuel boilers are currently being started in test mode. The decision to launch the full heating season will be taken with regard to the weather forecast and the actual air temperature. According to the General Director of the First Medical Association of Lviv, Oleh Samchuk, in the event of a sharp cold snap, heat is first supplied to children’s hospitals and maternity units, and only then to adult inpatient facilities.
The head of the medical association notes that all hospitals are prepared to operate on solid fuel — firewood and pellets. This backup heating was installed last year, and its operation is now being additionally checked. Separately, medical facilities have taken care of alternative sources of electricity: hospitals are equipped with generators, including with a reserve, as modern equipment — CT scanners, angiographs, linear accelerators — consumes significant amounts of electricity.
At the same time, the city is testing solid-fuel boiler houses in educational institutions. Such installations are already operating in more than 40 schools. They can provide heating even in the absence of electricity or gas, and can also be used during the transition period before the official start of the heating season.
In March this year, Lviv City Council approved the Resilience Plan of the Lviv Community. Within its framework, projects are being implemented to prepare for different scenarios of getting through the winter. Key areas include the development of backup generation, protection of critical infrastructure, installation of alternative sources of electricity and heat, as well as support programmes for residents.
The city is also modernising and replacing heat supply and water supply networks, repairing collectors and strengthening the protection of key facilities. More than UAH 3 billion is needed to implement the measures under the Resilience Plan. Lviv is raising part of the funds through loans from state-owned banks and international financial support. Some projects are being implemented jointly with the European Investment Bank, the governments of Germany and Norway and other partners, while part of the measures provided for in the national Resilience Plan is co-financed by the state.