Donetsk is the administrative centre of Donetsk Oblast and it is located in the east of Ukraine. The city is a major industrial and financial centre of Eastern Ukraine and is one of the most economically developed cities in the country. Donetsk has an area of 385 km2 and a population of almost one million people.
District heating in Donetsk was provided by two companies: CCE “Donetskmiskteplomerezha” and CE “Teplomerezha”, which together served the needs of 95% of the city for heat energy. These companies operated 269 boilers, 112 heat plants, 5 mixing stations and a total length of primary and secondary district heating networks as well as domestic hot water supply networks of 1,060 km. DH Company “Donetskmiskteplomerezha” operated 169 boiler houses with a total installed thermal capacity of 2,500 Gcal/h and its heating networks consisted of 900 km of pipelines for heating and hot water distribution.
Donetsk Demonstration Project – overview
Based on the investigations accounted, the proposed project concerned the replacement of all the heat piping from the actual boiler house to the hospital buildings as well as the replacement of the steam and the domestic hot water pipes to the hospital laundry. The replacement of gas boilers for heat and steam and the installation of heat pumps were also contemplated in the project.
Donetsk Demonstration Project – details
The project comprised the modernisation of the district heating system for hospital buildings in the centre of Donetsk.
Specifics of the Donetsk project included:
- Network replacement – Replacement of all piping for heat from the actual boiler house to the Oblast Traumatological Hospital’s different buildings and replacement of steam pipe and DHW pipes to the hospital laundry, connected to the boiler house.
- Replacement of existing gas boilers for heat (2×1.2 MW) and steam (2×0.28 MW).
- Installation of heat pumps (2×55.5 kW) including accumulator and heat exchanger.
The proposed investment was EUR 895,000. The proposed financing plan was as follows:
- Total loan – EUR 400,000 (45%)
- Total grant – EUR 300,000 (33%)
- Total Donetsk local contribution – EUR 195,000 (22%)
The project was expected to benefit the local community by:
- Saving 370,000 m³ gas per year
- Saving 600 tonnes CO2 per year
Current status
The project has been cancelled. The security situation in Donetsk in 2014-15 did not allow proceeding with the project. The city is still occupied by Russia. On 30 September 2022, Putin signed a decree claiming to annex Donetsk, as part of Russia.
Photo credit: Dmitriy Nushtaev