Second level of energy protection is being built at 210 facilities, - Shmyhal
Work is underway to establish a second level of passive energy protection at more than 210 critical infrastructure facilities in Ukraine.
According to Censor.NET, citing Ukrinform, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Denys Shmyhal made this statement during question time with the government in the Verkhovna Rada.
"The first level of protection against debris and indirect strikes has been completed at all priority energy facilities. Work is continuing on the second level of protection at 84 substations and 134 critical infrastructure sites. The work is being carried out by NPC "Ukrenergo" and the Recovery Agency, with completion rates of 80% and 95%, respectively," said Shmyhal.
Passive protection of the power grid is constantly being strengthened
Shmyhal emphasized that without the passive protection measures already in place, the situation in the power grid following the Russian attacks would have been far more complicated than it is now.
According to him, the development of such defenses is an ongoing process, as defensive structures also sustain damage during shelling and require repair and reinforcement.
Shmyhal added that both state-owned and private companies are working to strengthen the protection of energy infrastructure. Specifically, this includes Energoatom, Centrenergo, the Ukrainian Gas Transmission System Operator, Ukrhydroenergo, Naftogaz of Ukraine, as well as regional power distribution companies and private power generation companies.
They continue to build and repair protective structures for energy facilities in order to minimize the impact of Russian attacks.
"The total funding requirement is 35 billion hryvnia. We are actively working with our partners to secure this amount," the minister said.
Critical infrastructure facilities are joining the civil defense system
Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal stated that the initiative to integrate critical infrastructure enterprises into the air defense system is proceeding successfully.
According to Shmyhal, the government has streamlined the procedures for connecting new equipment to the power grid as much as possible during the period of martial law.
"The government has streamlined all procedures for connecting to utility networks as much as possible during the war. I am confident that these procedures are now among the simplest in Europe," he said.
The prime minister explained that most bureaucratic procedures have effectively been eliminated. At present, only the technical and safety requirements necessary for the stable operation of the power grid remain.
"Bureaucratic hurdles have already been reduced to zero; what remains are technical and security requirements that must be met to ensure the network operates properly," added Denys Shmyhal.
