DEVELOPMENT OF DISTRIBUTED GENERATION AS A PRESERVING FACTOR FOR THE UKRAINIAN ENERGY SYSTEM IN THE WAR CONDITIONS

The state of the energy system of Ukraine after the last enemy attacks was consi-dered. It emphasizes the need to implement distributed generation based on installations scattered across the territory of Ukraine with proximity to consumers, with an installed electric capacity of up to 15–20 MW and/or a thermal capacity of up to 20–30 MW, which will make such facilities less of a priority for enemy attacks, reducing the probability of a complete failure of the power system and increasing the reliability of electricity supply to consumers. The technical and economic prerequisites for the implementation of distributed generation, its main advantages and disadvantages, and the main characteristics of the maneuverability of sources of electric generation using natural gas are given. The necessity of a critical analysis of the plans of the Ministry of Energy regarding the urgent completion of power units of the Khmelnytska NPP and the reconstruction of large energy facilities (TPP and CHP units) is shown, considering not only their repeated damage possibility but also because generation from renewable energy sources is gradually becoming cheaper compared to traditional. The experience of some countries in providing the energy system with maneuvering capacities for the integration of the growing share of renewable energy sources in the energy balance is analyzed. In European countries, similar to Ukraine in terms of climatic conditions, a significant role is played by biomass and waste CHP plants equipped with thermal energy storage, which gives them the possibility of maneuverable electricity generation. It is shown that modern basic and flexible gas-based generation, which plays a significant role in several countries of the Energy Community, has an efficiency comparable to advanced coal-fired thermal power plants, and in the case of using combined cycle gas turbines, their efficiency significantly exceeds the efficiency of coal thermal power plants, providing at the same time almost twice lower specific emissions of greenhouse gases per unit of produced electrical energy. Given the priority of implementing relatively small facilities of distributed generation, gas engine power plants have several advantages over gas turbines in terms of electrical efficiency, start-up speed, electrical capacity range, and speed of its change. At the same time, they can play a significant role in flexible generations, working on different markets, including the balancing one. They can also be integrated into the structure of existing heating boiler houses and provide cogeneration at least during the heating season. The importance of the adoption of the National Energy and Climate Plan as an additional factor that will contribute to the implementation of distributed generation, the need to develop a Program for the Development of Distributed Generation in Ukraine and ensure the priority of the development of distributed generation in Ukraine based on renewable energy sources and natural gas in all programs and strategies is shown. At the same time, it is important to create conditions to ensure the profi-tability of private investments in distributed electric and heat generation. Bibl. 26, Fig. 4, Tab. 4.