Press Release – 5 January 2023

In the framework of Germany’s assistance to Ukraine, SOKRATHERM GmbH (a member of B.KWK – the German CHP Association, which is a member of COGEN Europe) has won a contract to provide 5 mobile cogeneration units to the city of Kharkiv. The first two mobile GG 70 VR compact CHP units have already arrived in Kharkiv and three more will follow in February. Powered by natural gas, each unit produces 71 kW electricity together with 116 kW heat, reaching a total energy efficiency of 93%.

(The information below was provided to COGEN Europe by SOKRATHERM GmbH)

Due to Russia’s massive and deliberate attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure there is a significant need for electricity and heat generation capacity in the country. The city of Kharkiv is particularly affected by this because of its importance as Ukraine’s second largest city and its geographical proximity to the Russian border (approx. 30 km).

In autumn 2022, the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) awarded SOKRATHERM GmbH with a contract to deliver 5 mobile combined heat and power (CHP) units to Kharkiv. Since the construction and installation of the first mobile CHP unit in Hiddenhausen in 1995, SOKRATHERM is considered the inventor of this type of cogeneration unit. It is a CHP unit mounted with all its accessories on a trailer and therefore can generate heat and power at different locations. The company not only had lots of experience and reference projects with the extremely efficient and reliable “mobile CHP” units, but was also able to realise particularly short delivery times in order to provide the necessary support this winter.

Photo: SOKRATHERM GmbH

“We are happy and proud to have won this contract. This way we can make a meaningful contribution with our cogeneration units to help the people in Ukraine and alleviate the suffering,” comments Joachim Voigt, sales manager at SOKRATHERM.

The first two mobile GG 70 VR compact CHP units have already arrived in Kharkiv and three more will follow in February. They are fitted for grid-parallel and island operation, which means they can operate in parallel with the grid as well as supply the most important power consumers take of the emergency power line in the event of a grid failure. Unlike pure electricity generators, CHP units also make the heat generated during electricity production available for heating. The delivered CHP unit type GG 70 VR produces not only 71 kW electricity but also 116 kW heat and reaches a total efficiency of 93%.

Mobile CHP units can be deployed wherever the energy is most urgently needed. Moving between two locations, including connection work, takes only a few hours. These locations will probably be hospitals, administrative buildings, residential areas as well as educational and nursing facilities. The operational management of the systems will be taken over by the regional energy supplier whose staff will receive the know-how necessary for commissioning and maintenance directly from the manufacturer in online support and training.

In the hopefully near future, when the current emergency situation is overcome, the CHP units can of course also be used stationary for the highly efficient supply of electricity and heat to buildings. In long run they can also be used for the same kinds of tasks as they would be used for in Germany, for example to supply an open-air swimming pool in summer and a school during the winter.

The GG 70 VR compact CHP unit is fully mobile and can quickly be moved to a new location (Photo: SOKRATHERM GmbH)

Press contact: Wilhelm Meinhold