Mayor Vadym Boichenko has met with a team of consultants of ‘Sweden-Ukraine: Support of District Heating Program (SUDH)’. With a joint partnership, Mariupol can modernize Mariupolteploset utility by converting a number of boiler houses for biofuel and waste heat. It is going to be a pilot project.
The Swedish-Ukrainian district heating support program is administered by Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO). It is aimed to finance and support environmentally sustainable, energy-efficient investment projects in the district heating sector around Ukraine.
According to the Mayor, the city is on the path of modernization and sustainable green development. Mariupol became the third city in Ukraine and the 25th in the world to join Green Cities program of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Mariupol attracted investments in the amount of EUR 160 million in order to implement the large-scale projects responsible for sustainable green development. They are aimed at improving municipal transport, water supply, outdoor lighting and municipal solid waste management. As the Mayor emphasized, Mariupol is ready to become a platform for the introduction of advanced European experience in terms of district heating.
‘Mariupol has developed a strategic vision for the development and transformation of the Heating Network to reduce gas and natural resources consumption. One of the main tasks is to reduce the size of the payment for a particular consumer. Mariupol has always been an example of how you can transform challenges into your advantages. It is important for us to be leaders in sustainable green development,’ Vadym Boichenko said.
The representatives of the program said that its mission is to provide consumers with quality services with minimal impact on the environment. Mariupol has an advantage - it is on the list of priority cities for the development of a feasibility study of the project.
‘The Swedish government largely supports Ukraine. In particular, this applies to infrastructure projects in the field of ecology and energy efficiency. Swedish district heating can be considered exemplary. We want to show central heating by implementation of demonstration projects in Ukraine,’ NEFCO representative Ronnie Nilsson said.
During the meeting, the director of Mariupolteploset Dmitriy Miroshnichenko spoke about the activities of the utility and key areas of development. The parties expressed hope for further fruitful cooperation. During the visit, a team of consultants will visit the utility, get acquainted with the district heating system and the operation of boiler houses and discuss the technical details of the project.
‘Sweden is a leader in district heating. Mariupol wants to be the leader in district heating in Ukraine. I am sure that we will find effective solutions in the discussion that will be unique for our city and Ukraine. Mariupol will be an example for each city in terms of the effectiveness of district heating control. Together we will show how the best European practices are implemented in Mariupol. We hope that at the stage of the city’s revival along the path of green sustainable development, NEFCO will become a good example of the way the Heating System should hit the reset button,’ Vadym Boichenko said.
