UzhNU received modern equipment for uninterrupted power supply from British partners
Uzhhorod National University has received three powerful power sets (each consisting of an inverter and a battery) as part of the UK-Ukraine cooperation with the University of Central Lancashire. This became possible thanks to The UK-Ukraine Twinning Initiative, a partnership programme launched in 2022 at the initiative of the then British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which brought together many Ukrainian and most British universities. In the same year, UzhNU and the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) signed a Memorandum of Mutual Understanding, which is the basis for further cooperation.
The equipment will ensure autonomous operation of key university facilities for up to 10 hours during power outages. Two inverter batteries will be installed in the main building of the university, and another in the new building on the BAM area . They will form an integrated backup power supply system together with photovoltaic (PV) systems installed as part of the Higher Education of Ukraine project funded by the Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO).
According to Myroslava Lendiel, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs of UzhNU, the system is being installed as part of the university's energy sustainability policy and through a partnership with UCLan. ‘The University of Central Lancashire has been our reliable partner for almost three years. In addition to many other projects, we managed to implement an initiative that will contribute to the energy sustainability of UzhNU. In the event of a power outage, the equipment purchased with UCLan funds will help maintain the normal operation of the buildings on the BAM. Accordingly, for a certain period of time after the interruption of the central power supply, this equipment will provide access to light and the Internet in our classrooms.’
According to Anatoliy Gychka, Chief Electrician of UzhNU, hybrid inverters are an ideal solution for backup power supply. ‘Given the current situation in Ukraine's energy sector, households and businesses are forced to look for both temporary backup power supply and alternative power supply. Today, hybrid inverters are widely used both at enterprises and in residential houses and apartments. This system contains a battery, is silent and produces the same emissions as petrol or diesel generators. Recent blackouts have shown their effectiveness as a source of backup and alternative power, as the device can charge the batteries from both the fixed grid and solar panels and provides full power to the consumer. In addition, such an installation serves as protection against voltage surges in the equipment in the room, which significantly increases the service life of other devices. The university management understands the importance of using alternative energy, so it does its best to attract various sources of funding to further develop this area.’
Thanks to participation in the Twinning Initiative, a lot has been done: English language courses for students and teachers, participation in summer schools, online discussions, remote meetings, and later, computer equipment and the second visit to a British university in two years. Now, thanks to funding from UCLan, with the support of the British company Cormack Consultancy Group and the mediation of the Charitable Foundation for the Restoration and Support of Mariupol State University, modern equipment to maintain uninterrupted power supply has been received. It is important to note that the timely transfer of funds doubled the amount of assistance, which made it possible to provide generators to other Ukrainian universities.
The transfer of inverters is part of a large-scale Generators4Ukraine campaign launched at the request of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine to support the educational process in the face of the energy crisis. The initiative covers higher education institutions across the country - from Kyiv to Kharkiv, Odesa, Lviv, Zaporizhzhia and Uzhhorod.
At all stages, Uzhhorod University expresses its gratitude for the support provided by our partners: Head of International Partnerships Paul Rowe and International Partnerships Project Manager Richard Brame from the University of Central Lancashire, as well as Director of Twinning and other projects at Cormack Consultancy Group Oleksandr Smirnov.
As part of the Higher Education of Ukraine project funded by the Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO), UzhNU is carrying out a comprehensive energy modernisation of its academic buildings and dormitories, one of the areas of which is the installation of photovoltaic (PV) systems, which contributes to the formation of an energy-independent environment at the university and is a vivid example of the integration of environmental technologies into infrastructure management, promoting a culture of energy efficiency among students and staff.
