A conference, The Possibilities of Modernizing Ukrainian Coal Electricity Generating Plants, culminated the long-term cooperation of Ukrainian and American experts under the Clean Coal Program, initiated in 1990 under an agreement between the Ukrainian Ministry of Energy and US Department of Energy with American financing.
Although Ukraine has the potential for the per capita generation of electricity on a par with the developed European states, it is now far from doing so: 80% of power units are obsolete and require rehabilitation. Moreover, power plants brought into service thirty or forty years ago fail to satisfy the contemporary demands of both energy consumers and the environment. At the same time, growing debts for energy and heat prevent the reconstruction of old facilities.
Ukraine has various technologies for burning the only energy source it has in adequate supply, low quality bituminous high sulfur (about 3.5%) and ash (40-45%) coal. The most promising for domestic energy branch are technologies, which do not require coal or gas.
The American-Ukrainian cooperation resulted a packet of technical recommendations on modernizing the Luhansk Heat and Electricity Plant. American firms have prepared the technical and economic data and given it to the World Bank to attract a loan for the project.
However, Ukrainian conference participants noted that borrowing is not the best form of investment and can be used only to carry out pilot projects. They prefer auctioning stock for sale on secondary markets. A total of twelve power station rehabilitation projects of this type were proposed.
One of the organizers of the conference was the Scientific Technical Union of Energy Workers, which for all its authority in government circles, world renown, and long-standing parliamentary connections, could be resettled from the Khreshchatyk offices where it has been operating for the last thirty years.
“Along with the colossal work connected with state energy policy,” says Union Executive Committee Chairman Oleksandr Dupak, “we have to deal with problems of our own survival, for they have refused to extend our lease on our premises even though the union has more right to them than anyone else.”
It would be a bitter thing if the state for which this union, in its 125 year history has done so much, decides it no longer needs the union.






