Ukrenergo sends price requests to Ukrainian, foreign manufactures for transformers

National energy company Ukrenergo has said that the company has strictly observed procedures in the purchase of transformers: the company sent price requests to both Ukrainian and foreign manufacturers.

"To avoid speculation around the purchase of transformers we declare that all the required procedures are observed under the requirements of Ukrainian law and as openly as possible. The price requests were sent both to Ukrainian and European manufacturers, taking into account the long period of their production and holding of tenders, the work was started in spring," the company said.

Ukrenergo said that the proposals to amend the 2015 investment program were presented in advance and were discussed in public.

The company said that the state of power lines today is close to critical, as 70% of the main equipment of substations went through their 25-year life span. Finally, expenses on repair and the number of accidents have increased.

"For the first time in many years the state finally paid due attention to the poor state of the country's energy system as one of the pillars of national security and independence and the necessity of taking urgent measures in the area, and this concerns not only the band aid approach, but also development," Ukrenergo said.

The company said that the further delay with the realization of the investment program after idle discussion and unjustifiable accusations threatens the safe and secure passing of the 2015-2016 winter heating season, which promises to be very difficult and complicated, with a considerable use of nuclear power in the country's balance of energy.

Ukrenergo said that the program envisages the lifting of restrictions on the issue of "locked" capacity of 1,800 MW in Zaporizhia, Rivne and Khmelnytsky nuclear power plants (NPPs), which would save budget funds to buy hundreds of thousands tonnes of short-supplied coal.

"Top managers of Ukrenergo call on introducing a competent and reasoned discussion which would promote the reformation of the electricity sector and would allow its quick and dynamic development in the coming years," the company said.