Farmers of Kherson region demand to completely stop the energy service program of irrigation pumping stations, initiated in 2018, and terminate contracts with companies that have already modernized the equipment. Replacing equipment with more energy-efficient ones, which was supposed to reduce the cost of water for fields irrigation, worked exactly on the contrary: water became more expensive. The fact is that in the conditions of tenders there is a requirement only for energy efficiency of the equipment and its cost is not taken into account at all.

According to words of UAC member and Chairman of the Water Users Association Volodymyr Khvostov, the installation of energy-saving equipment to save electricity is a great approach that had proven itself in Europe. After all, most of the cost of a cube of water - up to 80% - is electricity, and 20% - water supply through a cascade of water channels to the point of water release.

"However, for some reason everything went wrong in Ukraine. Companies greatly overestimate the cost of new pumps. The set of equipment can cost, for example, UAH 3 million, and it is estimated 5 times more and the contract is signed for UAH 15 million. Reimbursement of the cost of equipment and its maintenance through a state institution is entrusted to water users. For us, farmers, the tariff per 1 cubic meter of water is fixed. This is despite the fact that now there is a free electricity market and the cost of 1 kilowatt is not stable, and the cost of water is not stable accordingly. In addition, there is a night tariff, when the price of electricity falls by almost half. If energy service has already been introduced at the pumping station, the average price for the last three years before the energy service is taken and applied, regardless of whether the cost of electricity has fallen or not,” Volodymyr Khvostov explained.

However, there is another problem: the equipment at the stations is not replaced completely, but partially. If it fails, it will not be replaced quickly. Accordingly, it is a stop in watering the fields, and for farmers - the loss of crops and losses.

“With 100% of the pumping station equipment, it is updated by 20% -30%. Everything else remains the same outdated. But this new equipment can also break down. And if in the departments of irrigation systems there is a warehouse with a stock of engines, pumps, which stood before, then there is no such thing for new equipment. Most energy service companies are located in Kyiv. They have up to two weeks to repair the damage. Can you imagine what watering in season is? There is no water for half a day - and everything burned down, " the farmer said.

Moreover, agricultural producers pay attention to the fact that the state ceases to be the owner of its property. And this can lead to extremely negative consequences in the future. A bill on WUA is currently in the final stages of development. After its adoption, farmers will be able to unite in associations and take on the balance of pumping stations for their modernization. However, under such conditions, the transfer of pumping stations will become more difficult and their book value will increase significantly.

"The history of energy services is a very well-thought-out, veiled act of corruption. After all, there is no one to make a claim. It is necessary to approach this very scrupulously to understand what is happening in general. If the tenders stipulated that the most efficient and cheapest installation was exhibited, or in relation to the cost of a kilowatt, it would be a different matter. No farmer would buy such energy-efficient equipment, which would cost him five times more,” UAC member Serhii Rybalko said.

Currently, with the assistance of the State Water Agency Chairman Valentyn Shlikhta, the energy service process has been suspended and the procedure of checking the validity and expediency of the procurement has been started. However, farmers fear that everything may recover. That is why they call on the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine to cancel the already held tenders for energy services and terminate energy service contracts as those that do not meet the original goals.