DTEK to build grid-restorative 200MW storage systems in Ukraine

DTEK, the largest private investor in Ukraine’s energy sector, has today announced they will build a series of energy storage systems in Ukraine with a total capacity of 200MW, which will provide ancillary services to Ukrenergo, the country’s transmission system operator.

According to DTEK, the systems will be commissioned no later than September 2025, after which they will start providing ancillary services, namely that of automatic frequency restoration reserves – a reserve in the power grid that helps to keep the grid frequency stable.

The agreement involves a number of assets, geographically distributed across Ukraine. DTEK Group won the right to provide ancillary services to Ukrenergo in a competitive auction on 22nd August, alongside other industry players.

A total of €140 million ($154.4 million) will be invested in the project, which DTEK claims will make them the largest investor in energy storage in Ukraine.

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Commenting in a release was DTEK CEO Maxim Timchenko: “Despite the war and limited access to foreign capital markets, we continue to invest in Ukraine – not only to restore destroyed infrastructure but also to build new facilities in line with our long-term strategy.

“DTEK was the first company to start building energy storage systems and open this market in Ukraine back in 2021.

“Our priority remains unchanged: to develop green energy in Ukraine, accelerate the integration of the country’s energy system into Europe and to strengthen our country’s energy security.”

Strategic storage amid attacks on energy

According to DTEK in a release, energy storage systems are one of their strategic priorities going forward, allowing the country to depend more on thousands of decentralised sources of power, rather than a few power stations.

To this end, battery technology will be vital, ‘soaking up’ energy when generation surges and releasing it later, to even out demand and supply.

The announcement came hours after DTEK cancelled an online energy briefing, citing ‘security concerns’, during which they wanted to discuss plans on keeping the grid stable as the country enters its next Winter.

Ukraine continues to experience barrages by Russia on its power system, with one of the latest in late August targeting energy facilities and the Kyiv hydroelectric power station, affecting 15 regions across the country.

DTEK and other Ukrainian energy companies continue to repair existing power generation to get through the country’s oncoming winter, while simultaneously deploying such storage technologies to build a decentralised system.