Kharkiv prepares to abandon centralized heating after TEC destruction – Terekhov

Preparing Kharkiv for the next heating season will prioritize moving away from centralized heating, according to Mayor Ihor Terekhov.

Due to a lack of electricity caused by massive attacks on critical infrastructure, Kharkiv was forced to end the heating season early. Almost immediately, according to Terekhov, utility workers began preparing for the next one.

The authorities of the largest city in eastern Ukraine are now developing an action plan to prepare for the heating season. This includes the installation of modular and autonomous boilers that will serve neighborhoods.

"We need to differentiate the heating network, but it is impossible to completely abandon the centralized system at the moment. Therefore, we are working on certain things that will ensure the relative safety of this equipment," said Terekhov.

Kharkiv's TEC-5 cogeneration plant, which supplied the city with heat and electricity, was shut down on March 22 as a result of a massive Russian attack on the Ukrainian power grid. The TEC is not the only source of thermal energy in the city. Its share in the city's heat supply is about 30%. The rest is provided by the municipal company Kharkiv Heat Networks, and about 3% comes from local industrial boilers.

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Preparing Kharkiv for the next heating season will prioritize moving away from centralized heating, according to Mayor Ihor Terekhov.