Due to the unprecedented scale of destruction of thermal generation by massive Russian shelling, DTEK Energy restoration work at the company's thermal power plants will continue throughout 2025 and into the following year.
This was stated by the CEO of DTEK Energy, Oleksandr Fomenko, during a press conference at the Ministry of Energy on April 9, summarizing the autumn-winter period.
"Thanks to coordinated efforts, we have already gone through three difficult winters, but it’s unrealistic to expect that the next one will be easy. That’s why we are already preparing for it. We must understand that the scale of destruction from shelling remains colossal. Therefore, recovery will continue throughout this year and beyond," he said.
According to the CEO, in 2024, before the heating season began, the company’s thermal power plants were hit by 10 massive attacks, which caused extensive damage to equipment, buildings, and structures. These shellings damaged or destroyed 90% of the generating capacity of DTEK Energy. In total, nearly 4,000 energy workers and repairmen were involved in eliminating the consequences of the attacks and conducting restoration work last year. Thanks to their prompt efforts, over half of the lost equipment was restored ahead of the winter. However, new strikes in November–December 2024 caused significant damage to already restored equipment.
Furthermore, Fomenko reminded that due to the military actions, the company lost control of the Kurakhiv TPP, in addition to the previously occupied Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia TPPs in 2022. However, the energy workers managed to dismantle and transport the main equipment from the Kurakhiv station in time, which is now being used for the restoration of other TPPs and helped maintain their operations during the AWP.
The head of DTEK Energy emphasized that the key factor throughout all of this remains the people— the daily work of thousands of energy workers. He provided examples of energy workers from thermal power plants and electricity networks who, despite shelling and danger, extinguished fires, saved critical equipment, and carried out repair and restoration work.
According to DTEK, since the beginning of the full-scale war, 76 energy workers from DTEK Energy thermal power plants and DTEK Networks employees have been injured while performing their professional duties, and 6 have died.
In 2024, Russia carried out 13 massive attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, delivering a severe blow to the DTEK Energy thermal power plants. In total, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the company's TPPs have been attacked 205 times.
To prepare for and carry out the 2024/2025 heating season, DTEK Energy invested 3.6 billion UAH in restoring its TPPs and another 7.5 billion UAH in Ukrainian coal mining.
