Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal considers the privatization of state-owned combined heat and power plants (CHPP) managed by the State Property Fund (SPF) to be a priority.

"Naftogaz Ukrainy is ready to manage state-owned CHPPs, but, on the other hand, we will try to bring an effective owner through large-scale privatization of these facilities," Shmyhal said at the official opening of the 750 kV transmission line Zaporizhia NPP-Kakhovska.

At the same time, he noted that state-owned CHPPs are an element of large-scale privatization, priority number one in this direction.

As reported, at the end of August, the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine gave permission to transfer six CHPPs, which are managed by the SPF, to the management of NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy. The matter concerns the state enterprise Severodonetsk CHPP and the joint-stock companies Odesa CHPP, Kryvy Rih CHPP, Kherson CHPP, Mykolaiv CHPP, Dniprovska CHPP.

CEO of Naftogaz Ukrainy Andriy Kobolev in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine said that he did not believe in the interest of investors in the privatization of state-owned CHPPs because of the existing debts to the company for the supplied natural gas.

According to him, if the state cannot find competent managers for these CHPPs, then Naftogaz is ready to take on this responsibility.