A solar power station is being installed for the water utility in Novyi Buh
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- Alona KokhanchukReporter
Solar panels. Illustrative photo from the NikVesti archiveA 200 kW solar power station is to be installed in Novyi Buh for a critical infrastructure facility operated by the municipal enterprise «Water Supply Networks». Members of the Novyi Buh City Council have approved the allocation of over 2 million hryvnias for the connection works.
The decision was taken during the city council session on 26 June, according to NikVesti.
The project involves the major overhaul of the electrical networks to connect the solar power station. Svitlana Dibrivna, head of the city council’s finance department, reported that 2 million 31 thousand 850 hryvnias from the budget surplus had been allocated to co-finance the project.
«Funds have been earmarked to co-finance the project «Major overhaul of the critical infrastructure electricity network, including the connection of a 200 kW solar power station» on Lisnycha Street, 2, totalling 2 million 31 thousand 850 hryvnias. These funds come from the budget surplus,» she said.
In total, the community’s 2026 budget allocates 15.3 million hryvnias to support the «Water Supply Networks» municipal enterprise. The funds will be directed towards implementing this project, which is intended to enhance the energy resilience of the water supply system.
In March, a contract worth 15.3 million hryvnias for electrical installation works was awarded via the Prozorro system. The contractor is the «Dniprotehnika» corporation from Dnipro. The contract was awarded without using the electronic procurement system after two previous tender procedures failed to take place due to a lack of bidders.
According to the project, the solar power station will consist of four arrays of solar panels and four 200 kW inverters. The electricity generated will be used to power the pumping stations that supply water to the community.
Screenshot of the tender documentation from ProzorroThe working design provides for the sequential electrical connection of all the panels to one another.
At the same time, the procurement of electrical installation works is being monitored by the State Audit Service. The auditors have requested documents from the contracting authority to justify the expected cost of the works, the technical specifications of the project and the reasons for awarding the contract specifically to the «Dniprotehnika» corporation without a competitive tender process.
The city council explained that the cost of the works was determined in accordance with the Ministry of Economy’s methodology, based on commercial proposals and design and cost estimate documentation that had undergone state expert review. They also noted that the contractor was selected after two previous procurement procedures had failed due to a lack of bidders.
It should be recalled that the Novyi Buh community had previously signed a memorandum with UNICEF and secured around 19 million hryvnias in international aid. The funds were allocated to the modernisation of water supply networks, the replacement of pipes and the design of a solar power station.
It was also reported that the Novyi Buh community was unable to save around 500,000 hryvnias on the procurement of water pipes — two companies with cheaper bids refused to sign a contract, citing the escalating situation in the Middle East and logistical problems.
