MOSCOW, August 14. /TASS/. Ukraine’s largest thermal power plants (TPP) in Kiev can only recover 50-70% of their capacity before the heating season, with apartment temperatures potentially falling to 12-15 degrees Celsius, energy expert Yury Korolchuk said.

"The work is underway, with November 1 as the deadline. TPP-5 and TPP-6 can restore up to 70% of their capacity, while TPP-4 can recover about 50% due to its worse condition. They cannot go any higher. The equipment installed during emergency repairs will have lower actual efficiency. Otherwise, the plants will require a major overhaul," Korolchuk said.

The thermal power plants will generate less heat in winter, potentially pushing temperatures in Kiev apartments to extremely low levels, the expert said. According to him, temperatures will reach 12-15 degrees Celsius during a normal winter, remain around 0 degrees if the winter is warm, and could be higher if the energy infrastructure suffers no further damage.

The thermal power plants require major overhauls for full restoration, but such work is impossible during hostilities and costs significantly more than emergency repairs. Korolchuk also pointed to falling efficiency at Ukraine’s Ukrenergo power grid operator substations as well as at thermal power plants. Western equipment supplied to the plant does not fully cover its needs: the 600-megawatt facility effectively uses only 100 megawatts of capacity, or 20%. The facility’s modernization problems go back to 2023, the expert noted.