This article examines the specifics of using cogeneration units in conditions of electricity shortages and the need to improve energy resilience, taking into account various operating modes. It considers the differences between operating a cogeneration unit in accordance with current heat demand and a mode that prioritizes electricity generation, in which some of the generated heat can be utilized. For a quantitative assessment, an hourly energy balance model of the annual operation of a gas-piston cogeneration plant with an electrical capacity of 1 MW was developed, and five operating scenarios were considered. Efficiency indicators for the developed scenarios were calculated in accordance with the current Methodology for Determining the Efficiency of the Cogeneration Process, approved by Order No. 200 of the Ministry of Community, Territorial, and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine dated March 5, 2024. It was found that during continuous operation with a priority on electricity generation, the overall efficiency drops to 69.8%, and only 59.0% of the total electricity generated can be attributed to cogeneration, although the primary energy savings rate for the cogeneration portion remains at 24.9%.
The paper examines operating scenarios for the CHP plant with heat storage and an additional summer heat load. It has been established that thermal storage only partially compensates for the mismatch between heat generation and consumption, whereas creating an additional summer heat load makes it possible to increase the plant’s overall efficiency above the 75% threshold and classify the entire volume of electricity generation as cogeneration. The results demonstrate that the effectiveness of cogeneration plants under conditions of electricity shortages is largely determined by aligning the electricity generation schedule with the potential for useful utilization of the generated heat, and that increasing the level of heat utilization can be achieved by creating an additional year-round heat load.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Владислав Цюх, Юрій Веремійчук
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