Lviv is strengthening its readiness for the heating season amid possible disruptions to electricity supply. The city is expanding backup generation, installing cogeneration units and solid-fuel boiler houses, and reinforcing the physical protection of critical infrastructure facilities. This was reported by the First Deputy Mayor of Lviv, Andriy Moskalenko.
According to him, preparations for winter are focused on three main areas: ensuring alternative and backup power for heating, water, electricity supply and public transport systems, increasing the city’s own generation, and strengthening the protection of key facilities.
“We are preparing in three key areas. These are alternative and backup power sources for critical infrastructure facilities – heating, water, electricity supply, as well as the organisation of public transport services. The second area is additional generation, and the third important area is physical protection” – Andriy Moskalenko
To guarantee water supply even in the absence of centralised electricity, Lviv has renewed part of the generators at water supply facilities. More than 100 locations have also been prepared where residents will be able to collect water in the event of the most challenging scenario.
A separate set of measures concerns the stable operation of the district heating system. The city is commissioning 9 cogeneration units, with another 5 under implementation. In addition, block-modular boiler houses are being installed to provide backup capacity for heat supply.
Over the coming weeks, Lviv plans to complete the installation of 61 solid-fuel boiler houses. They are intended to heat facilities that will be used as warming centres for the population in the event of an extremely difficult situation with electricity and heat supply.
The first and second phases of launching Points of Invincibility envisage 166 locations. The availability of backup heating there will make it possible to set up places where residents can keep warm if there are prolonged outages of heating and electricity.
In parallel, the city is working to strengthen the physical protection of certain critical infrastructure facilities. Details of this work are not disclosed for security reasons. Additional generation, including cogeneration units, is intended to provide power to large heat supply facilities even without centralised electricity.
Preparations for winter also include the modernisation and replacement of heating and water supply networks, repair of collectors and other technical measures aimed at increasing the resilience of the city’s infrastructure and ensuring the uninterrupted provision of basic services to residents in the face of energy challenges.
Earlier, Lviv tested the operation of backup boiler houses in hospitals and schools, while district administrations are inspecting existing stoves (burzhuykas) in residential buildings, the conditions for their safe operation and fuel stocks.
In March this year, the Lviv City Council approved the Resilience Plan of the Lviv Community. Within its framework, projects are being implemented to prepare the city for various scenarios of getting through the winter. More than UAH 3 billion is needed to implement the measures of the Resilience Plan. Lviv has raised part of the funds through borrowing from state banks and international support. Some projects are being implemented jointly with the European Investment Bank, the governments of Germany and Norway and other international partners, while part of the measures provided for in the national Resilience Plan is co-financed by the state.