Ukraine launches battery parks to bolster power grid

Ukraine has launched a network of battery parks to prevent prolonged power outages from Russian attacks on energy infrastructure and has installed them in secret locations.

Source: Wall Street Journal

Details: The batteries, supplied by the US Fluence company, can maintain the power grid for some time if Russian strikes damage energy facilities.

The programme of a secret network of battery parks, which cost around US$140 million, was completed in August this year.

Six sites in the city of Kyiv and Dnipropetrovsk oblast already feed electricity into the grid when other sources go offline.

The combined capacity of the secret battery parks reaches 200 MW, storing up to 400 MWh of electricity – enough to supply 600,000 households for two hours. Individual units can be replaced if damaged without affecting the rest of the network.

Ukraine keeps the locations of the battery parks and their protective measures, including air defence systems, secret to prevent attacks.

Background:

• Earlier reports indicated that Zaporizhzhiaoblenergo, Zaporizhzhia's distribution system operator, will receive UAH 630 million from the state budget reserve to construct protective facilities.
• The Cabinet of Ministers has revised public procurement rules during martial law and for 90 days afterwards to enable Ukrenergo, Ukraine's state-owned national power company and the sole transmission system operator for the country's electricity grid, to finish building protective structures at substations.
• On 3 October, Russia has carried out its heaviest strike on Ukraine's gas production facilities since the full-scale invasion.

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