After the publication of information about the tender of JSC «Kryvorizka Teprotsentral» for the construction of cogeneration plants and possible artificial narrowing of competition, individual mentions and materials related to the procurement participants and their connections in the energy sector began to disappear from the public space. In particular, this concerns publications about previous tenders, companies’ participation in «Centerenergo» projects, and information about persons associated with lobbying decisions in the field of state energy.

In turn, we publish materials that are being pushed out of the information field. This is not only about one tender in Kryvyi Rih, but about a broader problem of transparency in energy procurement during the war.

The second heating season is passing, as in Kryvyi Rih they still cannot decide who will install the new cogeneration plant at the local heat plant. For almost a year, the procurement procedure was announced, changed, and canceled. And only on the fourth attempt at the end of 2025, the tender was finally held — with a winning price of 1.776 billion UAH.

The customer is JSC «Kryvorizka Teprotsentral» — an enterprise under the management of NJSC «Naftogaz of Ukraine». After the last announcement of the procedure in October last year, a potential participant — LLC «ENERGO-SERVICE COMPANY «METROPOLIA»» — filed a complaint to the Antimonopoly Committee, stating discriminatory requirements and artificial narrowing of competition.

According to calculations, the result of the tender was the determination of a winner whose offer exceeded the initial most economically advantageous offer by 206.4 million UAH.

A year of relaunches

The history of this procurement began back in February 2025. Then the expected cost was about 1.585 billion UAH. 11 companies participated in the auction, and the lowest offer was 1.182 billion UAH — almost 400 million less than the expected cost. Despite real competition and a significant price reduction, no winner was determined at that time, and the tender was canceled.

In July, the procurement was repeated in the format of a commercial inquiry without an auction — without disclosing prices and without qualification requirements. After that, open bidding was announced with softened conditions — experience in construction and installation of plants on facilities from 5 MW was sufficient. The result — 918.8 million UAH. This is the lowest recorded price over the entire period. And this procedure was also canceled — allegedly due to violation of review deadlines. So, they violated it themselves — and canceled it themselves?

In fact, after the market showed the possibility of performing the work for less than a billion hryvnias, the procurement conditions were changed again.

Fourth attempt — stricter barriers

In October 2025, JSC «Kryvorizka Teprotsentral» announced a new procedure for the construction of cogeneration gas piston plants with a total electrical capacity of 75.2 MW at an expected cost of 1.860 billion UAH. This time the documentation contained much stricter requirements:

• experience in constructing cogeneration plants with a total capacity of at least 10 MW;

• execution specifically of the internal (non-container) type;

• implementation of works at one facility;

• mandatory experience in commissioning works;

• financial capacity at a level of at least 20% of the expected cost, confirmed for 2023 or 2024.

The procedure took place without an electronic auction.

The most economically advantageous offer of 1.569 billion UAH from LLC «Production and Commercial Enterprise «Kotlogaz» was rejected. After a series of appeals and decisions that were canceled by the AMCU (the customer’s decisions were appealed by two tender participants — LLC «Production and Commercial Enterprise «Kotlogaz» and LLC «Eds-engineering»), the winner was determined to be the fourth participant — LLC «Scientific and Production Enterprise «Energo-plus» with a price of 1.776 billion UAH.

The difference between the lowest offer and the final contract amount is 206.4 million UAH.

Deliberate narrowing or management decision?

In the complaint of LLC «ENERGO-SERVICE COMPANY «METROPOLIA»» to the AMCU, it is stated that the combination of the 10 MW requirement at one facility, restriction of the execution type, and financial barrier effectively excluded some companies that had relevant experience but did not meet the entire set of criteria.

If compared with the previous stage, where under softer conditions the price dropped to 918.8 million UAH, the change looks telling. It gives the impression that after the appearance of an undesirable price result for the customer, the rules were revised.

Whether this is a coincidence or the result of a management approach — the appeal body and, if necessary, control bodies must establish. At the same time, the chronology of events creates a sense of systematicity rather than a technical error.

At the same time, the cogeneration project is strategic. It involves the installation of plants transferred by international partners to enhance the city’s energy resilience during the war.

Literally the other day, NGL. MEDIA published a material about how Ukrainian cities are losing opportunities due to delays in installing equipment transferred by partners. The situation in Kryvyi Rih fits into this broader picture: while tenders are relaunched, the second heating season passes without new capacities.

Who stands behind the contractors

The tender customer — JSC «Kryvorizka Teprotsentral» — is one of the key suppliers of centralized heating for several districts of Kryvyi Rih.

The winner of the competition is the enterprise «NVP «Energo-plus», registered in the city of Kremenchuk, Poltava region. The ultimate beneficial owner in the register is indicated as Yevhen Korf — a deputy of the Poltava Regional Council (elected from the OPFL party, since 2022 — deputy group «For Poltavshchyna»).

Open sources also mention connections of the company with Andriy Teslenko. The latter is associated with LLC «Zaporizhzhya Heat-Energy Project» and LLC «Inventum Ukraine» — companies that in various projects acted as contractors or partners of LLC «NVP «Energo-plus»».

Korf’s company is also the winner in one of the tenders of Trypilska TPP of PJSC «Centerenergo», where law enforcement agencies previously reported on the exposure of a scheme for embezzlement of funds. By the way, according to interlocutors, Teslenko helps lobby the appointment of former «Centerenergo» official Serhiy Isachenko as the head of «Centerenergo». In June last year, «NVP «Energo-plus» received the right to supply a set of equipment for the pulverized coal preparation system of one of the Trypilska TPP power units.

In September 2025, «IC «Naftogaz Technologies», which is associated with Andriy Teslenko in open registers, won another tender from Trypilska TPP — the enterprise was to provide technical supervision of the work. About the probable involvement of this contractor in probable violations was recently reported by Telegraf.

Since Kryvorizka TPP is under the management of “Naftogaz”, according to sources, the director of thermal and alternative energy of the Naftogaz Group, Oleksiy Vilkhovyi, was involved in the formation of technical requirements for the last procedure. It was he, according to interlocutors, who insisted on the admission criterion «availability of experience in the previous period of works on installation of minimum capacity of 10 MW of non-container execution» (in previous stages, 5 MW was sufficient). Allegedly, this type of execution is significantly different from other plants. As a result, the company’s management made the final decision.

Conclusion: is the issue only in the numbers?

Four attempts in a year. Cancellation of procedures after the appearance of a significantly lower price. Tightening of requirements at the final stage. As a result — a contract concluded 206.4 million UAH more expensive than the most economically advantageous offer allowed.

Complainants speak of discriminatory conditions. The customer formally acted within the procedure. But when rules change after a cheaper result appears, and the final price increases by hundreds of millions, this is already a question not only of formal compliance, but of economic feasibility and quality of management decisions.

If it was the established technical and financial barriers that led to the exclusion of cheaper offers, then we are talking about hundreds of millions of hryvnias in possible excess costs. A resource that could have remained in the budget or worked for the community — instead of increasing the cost of one contract.

In wartime, every energy project is of strategic importance. Every cogeneration plant is the resilience of the system and a chance to provide heat to the population. Therefore, decisions accompanied by a sharp increase in cost require maximum transparency and clear explanations. Otherwise, a logical question arises: did the state really get the best possible price, or will the country have to overpay another couple hundred million hryvnias.