Zhytomyr Has Fewer Power Outages: Successful Experience of Self-Generation.

According to ТСН: In Zhytomyr, the number of power outages has significantly decreased compared to other regions of Ukraine.

This has been facilitated by distributed generation and active work in the field of energy efficiency, making the city's experience worthy of attention at the national level.

Self-Generation of Electricity

During the war, several important energy projects were implemented in Zhytomyr:

• Gas Cogeneration Plants. With the support of USAID, several plants have been installed in the city that simultaneously produce electrical and thermal energy for CHP plants and boiler houses. Currently, they provide about 1.7 MW of electricity, and after the launch of the third plant, the capacity will increase to 2.8 MW with plans to install six more such facilities.

• Biosource CHP. With funding from the EBRD, a bioenergy heat and power plant with a capacity of approximately 1.1 MW has been built in Zhytomyr. There are also plans for the construction of another CHP with 2 MW of electricity and 10 MW of heat capacity.

• Solar Generation. 800 solar panels with a capacity of about 0.4 MW have been installed near the main sewage pumping station, operating under a grid-injection scheme. These solar panels also provide electricity to separate hospitals and social facilities, reducing their dependence on centralized energy supply.

• Waste Recycling Plant. The plant produces RDF fuel - processed waste that has a high calorific value and can be used as an energy resource.

Energy Efficiency as the Second Factor

In addition to generation, the city has significantly reduced electricity consumption through investments in modernization:

• Lighting. Over 18,000 lamps have been replaced with LED ones in Zhytomyr, allowing to reduce electricity consumption in external lighting networks by approximately 50%.

• Water Utility. With World Bank funding, emergency pipes were replaced, reducing water leaks and lowering the load on pumping equipment. As a result, the water utility's electricity consumption decreased by approximately 27%.

Experience Worth Scaling

Igor Lutsenko emphasizes that Zhytomyr, although not the wealthiest city, stands out for its effective approach to protecting critical infrastructure from the consequences of Russian attacks.

This success is tied to active cooperation with international partners providing financial assistance. He also notes that the issue of electricity should not be politicized, as the availability of electricity depends on many factors.

The experience of Zhytomyr deserves detailed study and implementation in other communities.

Thus, the Government of Zhytomyr demonstrates that coordinated cooperation between authorities, business, and international partners can significantly impact energy stability in this region blessed by God. This is a model for other cities on how to effectively cope with challenges during wartime.