The eight-month shutdown of the Chervonohrad Central Enrichment Plant (CEP) has ceased to be merely a legal collision and has turned into a real threat to the country's energy security. Experts warn: if the situation does not change, Ukraine may face a fuel deficit at the peak of the heating season.

Point of No Return: Court vs. Physics

As Vladimir Omelchenko, Director of Energy Programs at the Razumkov Centre, notes, court proceedings can be postponed indefinitely, but the heating season will not wait. The plant, which is a key link in the coal supply chain, has not been operating since January 2026. During this time, the situation at the enterprise has entered a critical phase.

The company is accumulating debts to its workers, qualified specialists are resigning en masse, and production facilities are falling into disrepair. Moreover, fires are being recorded in bunkers on the territory, indicating a loss of control over the facility.

Endless Sanation

The sanation procedure for the enterprise has been ongoing for almost eight years, yet there is still no approved plan for resuming operations. Legal uncertainty persists: in April, the appellate court annulled the appointment of Vladimir Yurchenko as permanent administrator, leaving him only as an acting temporary administrator. The Commercial Court of the Lviv region continues to consider the appointment of a new person, and the hearing scheduled for July 21 was postponed to August 19.

Domino Effect for the Energy System

The Chervonohrad CEP performs a critically important function: it cleans coal mined by state mines from rock and brings it to the quality standards required for thermal power plants (TPPs). Without this processing, the fuel cannot be used for generation.

The plant's shutdown triggers a chain reaction of negative consequences:

  • It becomes more difficult for state mines to sell the mined coal.
  • Raw material residues accumulate in warehouses, worsening the financial condition of coal mining enterprises.
  • Thermal generation loses part of its domestic fuel resource.

Vladimir Omelchenko emphasizes that coal reserves for December and January are being formed right now. Every lost week of plant operation means smaller volumes of fuel during the period when the energy system will be operating at the limit of its capabilities due to systematic attacks on generation and network infrastructure.

Demand on the Ministry of Energy

The expert calls on the Ministry of Energy to take the situation under operational control. Concrete steps are needed: consolidation of the position of state creditors, ensuring proper representation of state interests in court, and the speedy appointment of an independent sanation administrator.

Furthermore, it is necessary to prepare a realistic schedule for resuming the plant's work, determine a mechanism for paying off debts to workers, and stop the destruction of production capacities. Previously, the head of the Independent Miners' Union of Ukraine, Mykhailo Volynec, also warned about the risks, stating that the shutdown threatens the stable supply of coal to the country.

The situation requires concrete decisions, clear deadlines, and personal responsibility for their implementation; otherwise, the consequences could be fatal for the country's energy security.