25.11.2021 | News
Energy-efficiency modernisations in the city of Pryluky have helped to significantly reduce heat, gas and electricity consumption and improved learning environments and safety for the inhabitants.
Pryluky is a small town in the Chernihiv region with a population of about 53,000. The street lighting system in the city was originally constructed in the 1970s and was outdated and inefficient prior to the start of the project. The use of outdated mercury and sodium lamps led to significant electricity wastage and high costs for the city. Some of the educational facilities were also in poor condition, such as day-care centre No. 9 and school No.13, which resulted in very low indoor temperatures and high heat and gas consumption during wintertime.
Nefco began cooperating with the city of Pryluky in 2017. After a feasibility study was conducted, the primary objects were chosen. The street lighting on the 40 most important streets and roads in the city were modernised and new LED lighting was installed. As part of the measures, the poles were replaced and a new control system installed. The modernisation of day-care centre No.9 and school No.13 included replacing windows and doors, insulating the building envelopes, reconstructing the hot water supply system, installing heat pumps and renovating kitchen equipment.
“Energy consumption has been a significant part of the city budget for many years, but thanks to financial and technical support from Nefco and E5P, we have been able to decrease our costs and start the transition towards a sustainable future. The modernisations will result in considerable heat, gas and electricity savings. Most importantly, however, is the improved well-being of our inhabitants as a result of new efficient lighting in the city and improved learning environments for some 600 children and staff,” commented Oleksand Pravosud, Head of the Department of Education in the city of Pryluky.
The project will result in both energy and cost savings for the city, some 275 MWh in annual heat savings, a reduction of 68% compared to the situation prior to project start, 28,000 m3/а in annual gas savings, 26% reduction, from the two renovated buildings, as well as about 1,200 MWh in annual electricity savings from the modernised lighting system, which is a reduction of 63% compared to pre-project situation. This will result in positive environmental benefits, including some 1,000 tonnes of annual CO2 reductions. The total annual cost savings for all the energy-efficiency improvements will be some UAH 7 million (approx. EUR 230,000). Thanks to the new measures, the average temperature in the educational institutions was increased from 16-17 degrees Celsius prior to the project to 21-22 degrees Celsius afterwards, an increase of 23%. The new indoor temperatures are in line with the required health and safety regulations in Ukraine.
“It has been a very smooth process working with the city of Pryluky to decrease its energy consumption and make it more sustainable. The implemented energy-efficiency measures have significantly improved the children’s learning environments and made the city safer for pedestrians. We are very happy to be able to support proactive small communities in their transition towards more sustainable energy consumption and will continue to support energy-efficiency improvements in municipalities across Ukraine,” said Tetiana Lytvyn, Investment Specialist at Nefco Representative Office in Ukraine.
The total budget for the project was UAH 24 million (approx. EUR 764,000), of which UAH 12 million (approx. EUR 380,000) was loan financing from Nefco from its Energy Saving Credits programme. Approx. UAH 6.2 million (EUR 199,000) was provided as a grant from the Eastern Europe Energy Efficiency and Environmental Partnership (E5P), and the remaining UAH 5.8 million (approx. EUR 185,000) was co-financed by the city.
About the Energy Saving Credits (ESC) Facility
The Energy Saving Credits Facility offers small-scale financing to municipalities in Armenia, the Republic of Moldova, Russia and Ukraine for investments in social facilities such as day-care centres, schools, hospitals and street lighting. The funding can be used for energy-saving measures in connection with the refurbishment of public buildings and modernisation of street lighting. In Ukraine, 77 projects in 61 cities have received financing through the ESC Facility, of which 54 have been implemented since 2012. Read more at www.nefco.int/esc
About Nefco
Nefco is an international financial institution (IFI) founded in 1990. Our task is to work with concrete actions to accelerate the green transition, and we serve the interests of our owners, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. We have financed more than 1,500 private and public projects across various sectors. By focusing on small and medium-sized projects with tangible results, we have demonstrated how to implement energy-saving and environmental projects in a sustainable and cost-efficient way. We evaluate our impact against the EU Taxonomy, the UN Sustainable Development Goals and our own environmental criteria. Read more about us on www.nefco.int
Photo: Day-care cente No.9 in the city of Preluky – Garde for Nefco