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