Boiler houses are ready, but fuel is still being stockpiled: how Mykolaiv is preparing for winter

All 100 municipal boiler houses in Mykolaiv have undergone routine maintenance and are ready for the heating season. At the same time, municipal services are checking backup equipment and stockpiling fuel in case of prolonged power outages. Mayor Oleksandr Sienkevych spoke about the city’s preparations in a video address following a meeting on its readiness for winter.

The city continues to prepare backup power supplies and warming centres for a range of possible scenarios. These include both brief power outages and serious damage to boiler houses or heating networks caused by Russian strikes on energy infrastructure.

According to the mayor, the start of the heating season traditionally depends on the weather: the average daily temperature must be no higher than +8°C for 3 consecutive days. Heating is first switched on in hospitals, schools, kindergartens and other social facilities, and then in residential buildings.

The boiler houses in question are operated by Mykolaivoblteploenergo Municipal Enterprise. Its facilities also include:

• 23 central and 130 individual heating substations — all 153 have been prepared for operation;
• 33 pumping stations;
• nearly 490 kilometres of heating networks, which have undergone hydraulic testing.

In addition to routine maintenance of the boiler houses, the following work was carried out in preparation for the season:

• 19 boilers underwent major repairs;
• nearly 7 kilometres of pipelines underwent major repairs;
• more than 2 kilometres of networks were reconstructed.

Modern pre-insulated pipes have been laid in place of the old steel ones. They reduce heat loss, last longer and feature an alarm system that helps detect damage and leaks. Separately, Mykolaiv Combined Heat and Power Plant modernised part of its heating networks.

According to Oleksandr Sienkevych, a significant portion of the preparatory work was made possible by international support. This year, municipal services received:

• 110 generators;
• 145 inverter-and-battery sets;
• solar panels;
• 5 hot-water boilers;
• 3 kilometres of large-diameter pipes;
• a truck with a loader crane;
• a backhoe loader;
• a concrete mixer truck.

The mayor thanked the following partners for their assistance:

• the Kingdom of Denmark;
• UNDP;
• the People in Need organisation;
• UNOPS;
• ADRA.

Other international partners have also contributed to supporting the city.

Most boiler houses are equipped with generators, and the backup power supply should allow them to provide heat during power outages. The equipment is currently being inspected, and fuel reserves are being built up to support at least 2 weeks of autonomous operation.

Municipal services are also identifying which residential buildings, schools and kindergartens depend on each boiler house. In the event of an accident, this will help quickly assess how many people would be left without heating and connect backup capacity. Each municipal enterprise must have emergency crews, materials and fuel ready to begin repairs immediately after any potential damage.

If the heat supply is interrupted for an extended period, warming centres will operate in educational, cultural and sports facilities. They will be equipped with beds, diesel space heaters, generators and water supplies. Some centres have already been moved to more convenient premises.

In case shelling disrupts the water supply, water distribution points will be set up. In particular, residents will be able to collect water from wells equipped with autonomous generators.

Hospitals have backup power for operating rooms, intensive care units and other critical departments. Many medical facilities also have solar power systems and batteries.

Municipal enterprises have already stockpiled more than 2,000 tonnes of sand-salt mixture for snow and icy conditions. A further 750 tonnes or so are expected. Equipment for winter road maintenance has also been prepared to keep routes passable for public transport, ambulances and emergency services in severe weather.

We previously reported:

• Boiler houses are ready, networks are still being repaired: how Mykolaiv is preparing for winter
• So apartments don’t freeze again this winter: backup power is once again promised for Korabelnyi District
• Power in reserve: German partners deliver a new batch of generators to Mykolaiv
• The cost of modernisation: residents of around a hundred apartment blocks in Korabelnyi District freeze when the power goes out
• For residents in case of an emergency: Mykolaivoblteploenergo receives 6 more modular boiler houses