OREANDA-NEWS. DTEK Kurakhovskaya TPP continues to modernise power unit No. 9 with the works being completed by 60% over the six months. The power unit is expected to be switched to Ukraine's power grid in March 2015. Modernisation will extend the life span of the equipment for additional 15 years, increase the power unit capacity and reduce emissions by forty times. Sustainable operation of thermal power stations is the contribution of thousands DTEK employees to reliability of Ukraine's power grid.

According to the approved schedule, the company is upgrading its boiler equipment, installing factory modernised turbine and a new package transformer. Also, it continues to assemble a new electrical filter which will help to ensure almost a 40-times reduction in particulate emissions from coal dust burning to meet the requirements of Directive 2001/80/ЕС.

The plant has engaged engineers and contractor's teams from Kharkovo, Zaporozhye, Dnepropetrovsk and Kherson oblasts to perform the works at DTEK Kurakhovskaya TPP.

The project receives stable fundingincluding due to an investment component in the TPP tariff. The funds are enough to partially repay the loans raised to reconstruct the power unit.

"The coordinated work of skilled contracted specialists from different Ukrainian regions allows us to carry out reconstruction works on the power unit according to the schedule despite a complex situation in the region. This will provide the power grid with the needed manoeuvring capacity as early as next winter. The power unit reconstruction will extend the life span of the equipment for 15 years and increase its cost-effectiveness. After the reconstruction the power unit capacity will increase by 10MW to 220MW and the manoeuvring range will increase up to 100MW. A wide manoeuvring range will enable to reduce the electricity network load to the minimum 120MW and increase it to the maximum 220MW without terminating the operation of the power unit. Such flexible operation of the power unit will help to save fuel and reduce stack gas emissions," stated the CEO of DTEK Kurakhovskaya TPP Anatoly Borichevsky.

DTEK is modernising the fifth out of seven power units at DTEK Kurakhovskaya TPP. The thermal power plant has been carrying out regular upgrades since 2008.

DTEK has modernised 15 power units in 2007-2014 while overall in Ukraine there have been 17 modernised power units. In 2013 alone DTEK invested about UAH 2.5bn in reconstruction and technical upgrade of the power units at its TPPs.