In Lviv, ahead of the start of the heating season, the operation of back-up heating systems in educational institutions is being checked. In more than 40 schools in the city, solid-fuel boiler houses have already been installed, capable of providing heat even in the complete absence of electricity and gas. These facilities are seen as part of preparations for possible prolonged blackouts and damage to critical infrastructure. The operation of these boiler houses was inspected by the Mayor of Lviv, Andriy Sadovyi.
The back-up modular boiler houses run on firewood and are intended primarily for emergencies when centralised heating is unavailable. They make it possible to maintain a comfortable temperature in schools and, if necessary, to use educational institutions as heating points or Points of Invincibility. Installation of this equipment in Lviv began back in 2023, with priority given to the largest schools and medical facilities.
The Director of LMKP “Lvivteploenergo” Oleksandr Odynets notes that each of these boiler houses is equipped with two boilers, one of which is a reserve unit, and the system itself is designed for autonomous operation without electricity and gas. According to him, the boiler houses are relatively simple to operate and require only trained staff and a stock of solid fuel.
One Lviv school, where a solid-fuel boiler house has been operating for several years now, teaches 1,047 pupils. The system, installed around three years ago, has repeatedly provided the institution with heat during interruptions in centralised heating and electricity supply. Solar panels are also being installed here to provide additional energy autonomy.
The headteacher of this general secondary education institution, Tetiana Ivaniv, emphasises that thanks to the back-up boiler house, the school was able to continue teaching in comfortable conditions even during periods of power and heating cuts.
The city is considering the option of starting up the solid-fuel boilers even before the official launch of the heating season. According to Mayor Andriy Sadovyi, medical facilities and educational institutions will, if necessary, receive heating earlier than residential buildings. The transitional autumn period is expected to be covered in part specifically with the help of the back-up boiler houses, which are already operating in all medical facilities and in roughly half of Lviv’s schools.
The City Council stresses that, in an emergency, a large school can accommodate up to 5,000 people for temporary heating. To ensure the operation of such facilities, the city has prepared firewood stocks in advance, which are stored in appropriate conditions and are calculated to last for at least a month of autonomous operation.
The preparation of back-up boiler houses is part of the implementation of the Resilience Plan of the Lviv Community, which was adopted by the Lviv City Council in March 2026. The document provides for strengthening the city’s readiness for various scenarios of getting through the heating season. Key areas include the development of back-up generation, protection of critical infrastructure, installation of alternative power and heating sources, as well as programmes to support residents.
As part of this plan, heating and water supply networks are also being modernised and replaced, collectors are being repaired, and the security of critical infrastructure facilities is being strengthened. More than UAH 3 billion is needed for full implementation of the planned projects. Lviv is raising part of the funds through loans from state banks and international financial support, in particular in cooperation with the European Investment Bank, the governments of Germany and Norway and other partners. Certain measures provided for in the national Resilience Plan receive additional state funding.
A video about the inspection of the operation of back-up boiler houses in Lviv schools is available at: https://www.youtube.com/embed/NPnBqK1SNd4?feature=oembed