Ukrainians' reserve capacity reaches 3 GW: how this affects Kyiv's energy security

Ukrainian citizens and businesses have significantly strengthened their energy autonomy by accumulating a substantial reserve of backup power. Estimates suggest that the total capacity of charging stations and other power supply systems installed in homes and commercial facilities has already reached over 3 GW.

Comparison with the capital's consumption

These figures were previously cited by Valeriy Yakovenko, co-founder of DroneUA. According to him, the total accumulated capacity of such systems in Ukraine is approximately 1.6 GW, while their total power output exceeds 3 GW.

For context, it is worth noting that even during periods of severe frost, Kyiv's electricity consumption reaches around 2 GW. This means that the combined capacity of private reserve sources across the country formally exceeds the winter load on the capital's energy system.

The difference between power and energy storage

However, these indicators do not indicate that batteries can fully replace the centralised grid. Power and energy storage are different physical quantities. A charging station can generate significant power, but only for a limited time, until the battery charge is exhausted. Once discharged, the device requires recharging from the grid, a generator, or another source.

Role in stabilising the situation

Despite these limitations, the widespread adoption of such systems can significantly mitigate the consequences of emergency or stabilisation outages. Citizens will be able to maintain the operation of lighting, household appliances, communications, and the internet, as well as circulation pumps. Business entities will also have the opportunity to partially continue their operations even in the absence of centralised power supply.

Vulnerability of modern housing stock

The issue of backup power is particularly acute for modern high-rise buildings. Andriy Zakrevsky, Deputy Director of the Association of Energy and Natural Resources of Ukraine, previously drew attention to the fact that buildings that rely heavily on electricity are vulnerable during prolonged outages. Without electricity, water supply and heating pumps, elevators, and other engineering systems stop working.

According to Zakrevsky, a significant part of the capital's old housing stock is gasified, while many high-rise buildings are entirely dependent on electrical and centralised infrastructure.

City reserve capacities

In addition to private initiatives, Kyiv is simultaneously developing municipal reserve capacities. In particular, the capital's authorities planned to bring the total capacity of cogeneration units to 200 MW by the end of 2026.

Thus, home batteries and charging stations can serve as an additional "safety cushion" during the heating season, but on their own, they do not guarantee full protection of the capital from the consequences of large-scale attacks on energy infrastructure.