In Ukraine, a network of batteries was launched to support the power system after the shelling
In order to avoid long-term power outages after Russian shelling, Ukraine introduced a network of batteries capable of maintaining the operation of the power grid for a certain time. Their location and defense methods remain secret, reports Wall Street Journal.
The American company Fluence supplies these batteries to Ukraine. The $140 million launch program was completed in August this year. Battery parks look like playgrounds with rows of white blocks 2.4 meters high. To prevent the destruction of batteries, Ukraine does not disclose their exact location and methods of protection, including air defense systems.
Six facilities in Kyiv and Dnipropetrovsk region are connected to the power grid and are able to supply electricity during shutdowns of other sources, including thermal power plants. The total capacity of the batteries is 200 megawatts, which allows for two hours to provide electricity to about 600,000 households, which roughly corresponds to a city the size of Washington. This gives energy companies time to restore electricity supply after shelling. Each block can be replaced without affecting the others.
“If one of them gets hurt, it’s not the end of the world. I would cry and curse, but, to be honest, replacing one cube is not that difficult,” explained Vadim Utkin, adviser on energy storage at DTEK.
He oversaw the construction of a similar battery park in Energodar, Zaporozhye, which was occupied by Russian troops after the start of a full-scale invasion. A few hours before the arrival of Russian forces, Vadim Utkin removed the software from the batteries, turning them into “expensive bricks”.
