Digital Solutions for Ukraine's Energy: 5 Steps for Winter Adaptation Amid War
The question of restoring and modernizing the energy system is currently one of the key issues for Ukraine. One of the prerequisites for ensuring its stability is digital transformation. Director of the Institute for Energy Modeling, Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Volodymyr Mokhor, elaborated on the solutions that help prevent incidents, restore, and adapt the Ukrainian energy sector to modern conditions, as reported in an article by Dmytro Shulykin in the 'Svit' newspaper.
The first step is diagnosing networks, identifying leaks and damages. The team of experts at the Institute for Energy Modeling is developing technologies, digital tools, and relevant methods for the real-time detection of leaks in underground heat pipelines. This is achieved through active acoustic testing.
Furthermore, a digital complex is under development, primarily designed to identify locations and assess the degree of corrosion in underground pipelines. Heat networks can be inspected not only remotely but also from within using diagnostic probes.
This system will operate in over 30 energy and industrial enterprises, including thermal and nuclear power plants, mining and enrichment plants, and NAEC 'Energoatom.'
The second step is creating a digital twin of the electricity market. To assist businesses in understanding how to behave in a competitive market, the institute has developed a digital twin of the electricity market. This includes a computer model, an information and analytical environment, and the necessary software and hardware systems.
"In terms of the core information flows in the complex, we collect hourly, daily, monthly, and yearly data from operators and the National Commission for Energy and Public Utilities Regulation to form a basis for the models of wholesale and retail markets and the forecasting mechanism," explained Mokhor.
The third step is cybersecurity. In 2016, institute experts were involved in conducting an assessment of the circumstances surrounding a significant cyber attack on Ukraine's energy system.
Furthermore, with the aim of increasing the level of cyber protection for critical infrastructure and in the interests of the security and defense sector, the institute has handed over normative documents for the implementation of cybersecurity measures at critical industrial facilities.
The fourth and fifth steps are personnel training and decision-making support.
As The Gaze previously reported, Washington plans to provide Kyiv with $522 million 'when funds are available' to ensure the stability of Ukraine's energy system within the framework of the memorandum of cooperation between the governments of the United States and Ukraine.