Ukrainian power grid has survived three winters of Russian bombing and now, entering its fourth military winter, energy companies are relying on a network of powerful batteries designed by the US and located in top-secret locations, The Wall Street Journal reports, reports News.bg.
The batteries, with a total capacity of 200 megawatts, can power approximately 600,000 households for about two hours - equivalent to a city the size of Washington, the publication states.
Most importantly, these power units give engineers time to restore power and prevent larger outages.
According to the WSJ, the program to build The $140 million battery project, completed in August, is crucial for Ukraine. It aims to modernize and decentralize the electricity grid, including as a measure against Russian shelling.
To avoid making the batteries potential targets, Ukrainian authorities have kept their location and protective measures, including the deployment of air defense systems, secret, the publication notes.
Six sites in Kyiv and Dnipropetrovsk Oblast are already connected to the grid and provide backup power in case of outages - for example, in the event of a breakdown at a thermal power plant - thus helping to avoid repeated blackouts that Ukrainians have been experiencing for years.