Building underground substations of Ukrenergo looks like rather problematic solution – company’s rep

Underground solutions for substations of NPC Ukrenergo still look quite unrealistic, based on the high cost of such facilities and a number of other technical problems, head of the Office for Identification and Counteraction to Threats to Critical Infrastructure of NPC Ukrenergo, Serhiy Nazarenko said.

"I think it is too early for us to bury our energy system underground. It will still work. Yes, this is done in some countries, for example, in Japan, but due to a lack of space… For us, based on cost, time, technical problems, because completely different equipment will be needed, these solutions are quite problematic, at least in the short term," Nazarenko said during the Energy Security Dialogue-2024 by DiXi Group in Kyiv on Wednesday, an Energy Reform correspondent reports from the scene.

He explained that these are very expensive solutions, including due to the use of SF6 gas.

"If we compare the construction of an above-ground and underground substation, it will probably be several times more expensive, even without protection systems. The SF6 technologies used in such cases are also quite expensive," Nazarenko noted.

He added that if an underground substation is damaged by high-precision weapons, its restoration is not possible.