The Ukrainian charitable organisation Energy Act for Ukraine Foundation has equipped Mykolaiv Regional Children's Clinical Hospital with hybrid solar stations with energy storage systems as part of the 50 Solar Hospitals campaign. The Foundation actively cooperates with the Ministry of Health of Ukraine (MoH) under a Memorandum of Cooperation. This is the fourth hospital where the Foundation has installed a solar station, but the first facility in Mykolaiv region.
In 2024, the charitable foundation is expanding its activities to other regions and will implement the 100 Solar Schools and 50 Solar Hospitals campaigns in Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, Khmelnytsky, Kirovohrad and Rivne regions.
In the Mykolaiv region, 21 out of 52 territorial communities were in the combat zone, and 108 settlements were occupied as a result of the ongoing military operation by russian troops in the region, which began on 26 February 2022.
The Mykolaiv Regional Children's Clinical Hospital is the leading childcare facility in the region and the main medical institution in Kherson Oblast. In total, the hospital has 15 specialised departments with modern equipment that requires a constant power supply. In addition, the hospital's premises were damaged as a result of hostilities and rocket attacks near the hospital buildings. As a result, there was a need to strengthen the hospital with a reliable source of electricity to ensure an uninterrupted environment for patient treatment and an autonomous power supply.
The solar power plant consists of 128 photovoltaic modules with a capacity of 58.24 kW, provided by Menlo Electric, an international distributor of solar power equipment, and an energy storage system with a capacity of 98.24 kWh. RODINA was the technical partner for this project. The station was installed to ensure uninterrupted power supply to the hospital's main building and improve emergency preparedness. The station will meet the power supply needs of the critical departments of the main building: the operating theatre, surgical department, intensive care unit, newborn and premature baby unit, and maternity ward.
The hospital is expected to save around €5672 annually on electricity costs and reduce CO2 emissions by 1625 tonnes over the 25 years of the system's operation.
“With the installation of the solar station at the Mykolaiv Oblast Children's Clinical Hospital, we are starting a new stage in the development of our foundation: we are expanding our activities in the Mykolaiv region. This is our first, and I am sure not the last, project in the region, as there is an urgent and vital need to treat patients and work without interruption. It is indeed a very important region for us, as Mykolaiv Regional Children's Hospital is the main medical institution in Kherson Oblast and is responsible for saving hundreds of lives. So our solar power plant, which will cover up to 35% of the hospital's electricity needs, will ensure an uninterrupted supply of electricity to the hospital, as Mykolaiv is a frontline city and is subject to daily shelling by the enemy. So this is not only a step forward in the implementation of renewable energy, but also a way to improve access to medical care for children in a region with a high level of danger,” said Yuliana Onishchuk, founder and director of the Energy Act for Ukraine Foundation.
“For Menlo Electric, this is the second project in Mykolaiv, which is an example of how modern technology can serve society even in the most difficult times. We are proud to contribute to improving the stability of power supply at the regional children's clinic, where reliable energy support is so critically needed. Our mission here is not just about supplying equipment - we are contributing to creating a safe and efficient environment for the heroic doctors and their little patients. This is part of our commitment to supporting Ukraine and its citizens in this critical period,” commented Oleksandr Piskun, Country Director of Menlo Electric Ukraine.
“The solar power plant has been operating since March and is already capable of covering up to 6 hours of power outages. This will have an impact on the uninterrupted supply of electricity, and therefore the uninterrupted operation of equipment that is critical to saving lives,” said Oleksandr Plitkin, Chief Medical Officer of Mykolaiv Regional Children's Clinical Hospital.