Zelenskyy: Ukraine ready to deploy specialists to maintain power plant in Transnistria

Iryna Kutielieva — Saturday, 25 January 2025, 15:24

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Ukraine is prepared to deploy personnel to the Moldovan thermal power plant in Transnistria to establish operations using a different type of coal and improve electricity generation.

Source: Zelenskyy said this at a press conference with Moldovan President Maia Sandu, as quoted by Ukrinform; European Pravda reports

Details: Zelenskyy said that the relevant consultations with the Moldovan side had already occurred, "and Tiraspol knows this".

Quote: "(We are ready) to send a team of our people who will do everything very quickly at this station."

Details: He said that the Moldovan Cuciurgan power station currently produces 200-220 MW of electricity, and with the help of Ukrainian specialists, this number could increase to 2 GW.

Quote: "If our people go there, it will undoubtedly be capable of producing two gigawatts. That's ten times more than needed."

Details: Zelenskyy went on to say that Ukraine is ready to offer coal to the Moldovan Cuciurgan power facility in exchange for energy.

Quote: "This is fair: we provide coal, they get electricity for themselves and the rest of Moldova, and we get electricity for ourselves."

Background: 

  • On 1 January, the unrecognised region of Moldova stopped receiving Russian gas, which resulted in a gas cut-off for tens of thousands of household consumers and a shutdown of local industry.
  • The Transnistrian authorities urged residents to solve the problem by using electric heaters, as electricity is still an available resource – the local Moldovan Cuciurgan power station continues to operate on fuel oil and coal reserves.
  • Forecasts suggest that they should last until the end of winter, but with a sharp spike in electricity consumption to compensate for the lack of gas and the onset of cold weather, they could be depleted much faster. 

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