Viktor Lotous, the chairman of the board of the Poltava mining and beneficiation plant, shared details of this development.
The company is currently in the design phase for the new solar facility, which will supplement its existing 5 MW solar power plant (SPP). Unlike many other solar operations, Ferrexpo's current SPP operates without financial compensation from the green tariff, being solely dedicated to meeting the company's own production energy requirements.
The decision to expand solar energy capacity comes in response to the ongoing challenges posed by massive attacks on the Ukrainian energy system, which have impacted Ferrexpo’s operations. Lotous explained the severity of the situation, noting instances where emergency shutdowns led to significant operational disruptions. "For example, on March 29, there was an emergency shutdown for 12 hours, and the enterprise was almost non-working. But then they gave us electricity and we started. On March 30, we were also limited to 20 MW. In the winter of 2023, we worked only at night, and during the day we were stopped," he recounted.
The new solar power plant is seen as a strategic move to mitigate such disruptions by diversifying and strengthening the company’s energy sources. Lotous highlighted the flexibility of the company’s electricity supply, which can be sourced from different parts of the power grid, ensuring that the enterprise is not dependent on a single route.
This investment into renewable energy not only underscores Ferrexpo’s commitment to sustainability but also enhances its resilience against external energy supply challenges.
