Industrial Battery Energy Storage for Uman and Cherkasy Oblast

Normal Working Day: Load Shifting and Demand Charge Reduction

At 0.4 kV or 10 kV, a BESS in Uman can shave peaks. Your transformer substation sees the highest load between 8:00 and 11:00 and again from 17:00 to 20:00. The battery charges at night, when electricity is cheaper (typically 30-40% lower under the hourly tariff), and discharges during those peaks. For a grain elevator with a 500 kW conveyor drive, that can cut demand charges by 15-25% — the payback is usually 4-6 years, depending on your load profile.

Without a load profile, that figure is rough. We always install a temporary metering kit for two weeks before sizing the system. The EMS/SCADA then controls the battery automatically, keeping you within your contracted capacity. Cherkasyoblenergo sees a smoother profile, which can also improve your connection terms in the future.

Emergency Outage: Uninterrupted Power for Critical Processes

When the grid goes down — and it does, especially after storms or on the M05 corridor — a BESS switches to island mode in under 20 ms. For a vitamin production line with a 200 kW critical load, a 500 kWh battery keeps the line running for 2.5 hours. That is enough time to complete a batch or safely shut down. For a grain elevator, it means the control systems and ventilation stay alive, preventing spoilage.

Note: at 0.4 kV, this will not work for large motors unless you have a separate critical bus. The battery can only feed what is connected to the backup side. We design the switchgear to separate essential loads from the rest. If you need 8 hours of backup, we size the battery accordingly — at 0.4 kV, the cabinet footprint grows, but it is still feasible.

Seasonal Peak: Handling Harvest and Winter Demand

In autumn, grain elevators run dryers around the clock. In winter, electric heating kicks in. These peaks can double your transformer load. A BESS with a capacity of 1 MWh and a power of 250 kW can cover the difference, avoiding the cost of upgrading your transformer — which in Cherkasy Oblast might take months and significant investment.

During the harvest, the battery discharges in the evening when dryers are at maximum. At night, it recharges. The system also provides reactive power support, improving the power factor and reducing penalties. We have seen payback periods as short as 3.5 years for seasonal operations, but again, that depends on your exact tariffs and load shape.

Connection to Cherkasyoblenergo: Technical Conditions

Any BESS must be connected through the local distribution system operator, Cherkasyoblenergo. They issue technical conditions (TU) for the connection — this is a standard procedure. We prepare the application package, including a single-line diagram and protection settings, and handle the correspondence. The TU will specify the point of connection, voltage level (0.4 kV or 10 kV), and metering requirements.

Typical lead time is 4-8 weeks for approval. We have seen cases where the TU required additional relay protection — that is normal. We incorporate those into the design. The contractor is responsible for the installation up to the meter; Cherkasyoblenergo seals the meter and performs the final switching.

EPC Services: From Audit to Service

BESS Ukraine Engineering Group is a full-cycle EPC contractor. We start with an audit of your loads and existing electrical infrastructure. Then we design the system, supply the equipment, install it, and commission it. After that, we offer service contracts with remote monitoring and annual maintenance.

We work with LiFePO4 cells from CATL and other Tier-1 manufacturers, liquid cooling, BMS, and our own EMS/SCADA. The cabinets are IP55/C4 rated for outdoor installation — they can handle the dust of a grain elevator and the cold of a Ukrainian winter. Systems range from 50 kW to 5 MW, in 20- or 40-foot container configurations.

We do not do residential systems — those go to SolarProm.com.ua. For industrial and commercial storage in Uman, call +380 44 339-50-20 or write to engineering@bess.com.ua.