Fire at Trypillia TPP/Photo from open sources
The Trypillia thermal power plant in the Kyiv region, destroyed by a Russian ballistic missile attack on April 11, is slated for restoration, with the power industry having received equipment offers from European countries.
However, amid the ongoing threat of Russian strikes, rebuilding the TPP without providing Ukraine with air defense systems is deemed a «futile exercise», according to Andriy Gota, chairman of the supervisory board of Centrenergo.
Gota noted that while some of the supersonic ballistic missiles aimed at the plant were intercepted, the lack of missiles for Ukrainian air defense systems resulted in the destruction of parts of the TPP.
«Anything can be restored, last summer we had a similar picture when these units were not repaired and at some stations did not work at all. That is, we can restore everything. We have a very good team, a very motivated team», — Gota commented to the Ukrainian Service of the Voice of America.
«Of course, it’s nearly impossible to do this without international partners. We have received promises of transformers, turbines, and other equipment from European countries. However, without an adequate number of missiles for air defense, it will be a futile exercise, to say the least», — he added.
Due to favorable weather conditions, significant power outages for electricity consumers are not expected in the immediate future. However, Gota warned that blackouts may become more frequent as summer approaches. He expressed concerns about the upcoming winter, noting the severity of the situation following the similar destruction of another power plant in the Kharkiv region on March 22 by Russian ballistic missiles.
For context, the Trypillia TPP supplied electricity to almost 3 million people and was the largest electricity provider in the Kyiv, Zhytomyr, and Cherkasy regions.
On the night of April 11, Russian occupation forces completely destroyed the Trypillia TPP in the Kyiv region.