| Despite the fact that the Ukrainian Constitution | | | | nuclear power experts said that this plant would be |
| declared Ukraine to be a unitary state, the country | | | | able to allow Crimea to develop its power industry, |
| has an autonomous region to the south. This | | | | and that the water moderated reactors in rigid |
| autonomous region is Crimea. The Crimea peninsula is | | | | housings posed no serious threat to the environment. |
| very different in both economic and political terms | | | | However, the nuclear power plant was put up for |
| when compared to the other regions in Ukraine. But | | | | sale, and Crimea entered a lingering period of |
| the Crimean power industry and its problems closely | | | | electricity deficit. Many Crimeans suffered a fall in the |
| resemble many countries that soon regretted their | | | | standard of living not only because of dissolution of |
| hasty decisions on shutting down nuclear generation | | | | the Soviet Union, but also because of continuous |
| projects. | | | | energy deficit. |
| The local electricity output in Crimea accounts for | | | | Environmentalists fought for the alternative solar and |
| less than ten percent of the total electricity | | | | wind plants. The solar power plant at Scholkino first |
| generation, and the peninsula could not possibly | | | | generated electricity in September 1985, but was |
| satisfy its own demand for power. Crimea receives | | | | shut down forever in September 1994. Its mirrors |
| electricity generated by the Ukrainian mainland power | | | | are now almost incapable of reflecting light. During its |
| stations, transmitted along four lines to the region. | | | | nine years of operation, the solar plant generated |
| These transmission lines are: | | | | 2GWh of electricity, although the project was |
| • 330 kV Melitopol - Simferopol. - Major line | | | | supposed to ensure an annual output of 5.6GWh. |
| that provides about 350-450 MW and covers up to | | | | The wind power plant is currently under construction. |
| forty percent of autumn-winter peak power demand | | | | Of the 20 turbine towers planned, the 12 towers of |
| in Crimea | | | | the Aktash wind power plant have already been built. |
| • 330 kV Kakhovka - Krasnoperekopsk | | | | The plant at Aktash has a total capacity of 4MW, |
| -Dzhankoi. | | | | and it will be a constituent part of the Eastern Crimea |
| • 330 kV Kakhovka - Dzhankoi. | | | | Wind Power System, which is due to have hundreds |
| • 220 kV Kakhovka - Ostrovskoye. | | | | of turbine towers to generate 500MW for the |
| Their total transmission capacity is limited to less than | | | | Crimea Grid. Eleven turbine towers are installed in |
| 1.3 GW, whereas the maximum demand for electrical | | | | Donuzlav. Provision has been made for the installation |
| power in Crimea was about 1.5 GW in 1993. | | | | of turbine towers in the Arabat and Sudak sites. A |
| As can be seen, the first-mentioned line is overloaded | | | | 1.2 MW windmill was commissioned at Saki in 2006. |
| and the next three pass through Kakhovka. The | | | | The activity around the wind and solar power |
| Kakhovka lines from time to time face threat of | | | | projects may give some greens comfort to think |
| flooding from water storage formerly intended for | | | | Crimea will be energy sufficient in the nearest future, |
| servicing the Crimean Soda Plant. In some cases, the | | | | but that is nothing short of self-delusion when you |
| transmission poles are only 40-50 meters from the | | | | decide to compare wind and solar figures with the |
| affected areas. The poles have been in service for | | | | real demand for electricity. |
| periods ranging between 20 and 40 years, and are | | | | The central Ukrainian government has decided to |
| said to have very low margins of safety. Should | | | | tackle the problem by improving the transmission |
| anything happen to any single pole, then Crimea | | | | capacity from mainland Ukraine to Crimea and by |
| would suffer a severe electricity shortage. | | | | increasing local generation capacity to 400 MW over |
| When it was part of the former USSR, Crimea tried | | | | the coming four years. Today, the electricity demand |
| to solve the energy supply problem through | | | | and consumption are actually much lower than those |
| implementation of the Energy City Project in | | | | in early 1990s, but the consumption increased by 30 |
| Scholkino, where three power plants (nuclear, wind | | | | percent in 2006 and is expected to exceed its |
| and solar) were planned. More than a quarter of | | | | historical maximum of 9 TWh in 2010 without |
| century has passed since construction of the nuclear | | | | considering any sizable investment into the Crimean |
| power plant commenced (1976), and eighteen years | | | | resort industry. On the other hand, the Crimean |
| since construction was terminated in 1989. The | | | | authorities are planning to build a large network of |
| former USSR government invested about 550 mln. | | | | medium-quality hotels in the near future. What will |
| rubles or more in the project, i.e. around US$600 in | | | | environmentalists say in 2010s, when all the air |
| prices of 1980/84. The 4GW project, as in many | | | | conditioners in the Crimean hotels will work in the |
| countries, fell victim to environmental concerns. Many | | | | summer and heaters in the winter? |