The conflict surrounding the construction of a solar power plant for the water utility in Pervomaisk has escalated. One side claims that millions of euros in investments have been lost, while the other argues that the project posed risks to the community.
MP Maksym Dyrdin stated that 15 million euros in investments were lost due to the actions of city authorities, while the city administration calls the project financially risky and one that could have resulted in millions in debt for the community.
According to the MP, Lithuanian and Polish partners were ready to implement a 15-megawatt solar power plant project to ensure the energy independence of the local water utility. He claims that the city was only required to allocate a plot of land and provide the technical conditions for connection.
Dirdin stated that once the investment was recouped, the solar power plant was to become the property of the community, which would have reduced the water utility’s costs and kept rates in check. At the same time, he accused city officials of dragging out negotiations, providing an unsuitable plot of land, and creating bureaucratic obstacles to signing the necessary agreements.
In particular, investors were offered the site of the former sewage treatment fields near the Sugar Factory, which required significant additional construction costs. He also claims that the nearest point of connection to the power grid was several kilometers away from the proposed site, which called into question the economic viability of the project.
In response, the executive committee of the Pervomaisky City Council stated that the information about the “lost 15 million euros” is not true. City officials emphasize that this was not a grant or non-repayable aid, but a credit facility with a total value of up to 30 million euros.
City officials also note that under the terms of the proposed “scheme,” the community could have served as a financial guarantor for the investors’ obligations, and the solar power plant itself would have transferred to municipal ownership only after it had paid for itself, a process that could have taken more than ten years.
In addition, city officials explained that the project’s implementation required additional approvals due to the water utility’s status as a critical infrastructure facility, and the proposed terms posed financial and legal risks to the community.
Meanwhile, in Pivdennoukrainsk, city council members independently called for an extraordinary session of the city council due to delays in convening it. The community’s receipt of a grant of over 5 million euros for the modernization of the sewer infrastructure depends on decisions being made by June 15.
Анна Бальчінос