Ukrenergo reports blackout in 472 populated localities in Ukraine

MOSCOW. May 8 (Interfax) - As many as 419 populated localities in Ukraine had no power supply for various reasons on Tuesday morning, Ukrainian media said, citing a statement by the Ukrainian Energy Ministry on a social network.

There was no power supply to 5,400 clients in around 90 populated localities in the Sumy region, 1,600 clients in 30 populated localities in the Chernigov region, and 3,800 clients in 52 populated localities in the Kiev-controlled part of the Zaporozhye region, the statement said.

About 102,000 households had no power supply in the Kharkov region, consistent with schedules, on Tuesday, same as on Monday.

Additionally, a thunderstorm and high winds cut power supply to 53 populated localities in the Zhitomir, Sumy and Chernigov regions on Tuesday morning, Ukrenergo said. Some 1,000 clients in seven populated localities, 600 clients in five populated localities, and 4,300 clients in 42 populated localities have no power supply in those regions, respectively. Power supply disrupted by bad weather has resumed to over 10,000 clients in the Kiev region.

Thus, there is no power supply to 472 populated localities across Ukraine.

Renewable energy generation was limited from 10:40 a.m. to 4:05 p.m. on Monday to balance the power grid, and excessive electricity was urgently exported to Poland between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m., the statement said.

At the same time, Ukrenergo asked for saving electricity between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m.

The operator reported further increase in imports. It is planned to import 7,395MW/h from Romania, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary and Moldova in the evening, which is 1.4 times more than on Monday, which, for its part, grew six times compared to Sunday.

Ukrenergo noted that the imports reached 1,668MW in certain hours, close to the 1,700MW technical capacity of electricity imports from Europe to Ukraine and Moldova.