Ukraine to continue limiting power consumption on Monday - Ukrenergo

MOSCOW. July 15 (Interfax) - Power supply will be cut simultaneously to three categories of consumers in Ukraine from 0:01 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and to four categories for the rest of the day on Monday, Ukrainian media reported with reference to the national power grid operator Ukrenergo's post on its social account.

"On July 15, consumption will be restricted for the whole day. Regional power operators will cut power supply simultaneously to four categories from 4:00 p.m. to midnight and to three categories during the other hours," it said.

Power consumers not listed among critical infrastructure entities are divided into six categories in each region. Power supply restriction to three categories means that around half of all consumers are cut off from power supply, and four categories include simultaneously around 70% of all consumers in each region during a certain period.

Ukrenergo said a little later that electricity consumption in Ukraine was at its maximum level due to the ongoing spell of hot weather.

"As abnormal heat is anticipated in Ukraine and Europe, consumption has reached its maximum level and is considerably higher that the Ukrainian power plants' capacity to cover all needs," the company said on Monday.

Ukrenergo received emergency supplies from the energy systems of Poland and Slovakia from 1:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. on July 14, and again from Poland overnight into Monday. The Ukrainian energy system also extended emergency assistance to Poland from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday by accepting surplus electricity from the Polish energy system.  

Ukraine plans to import a total of 25,126 MW/h from Romania, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary on Monday, 12% less than on the previous day. The company explained the decline in these imports with the abnormal heat wave and growing electricity consumption in Europe itself.

A total of 446 localities in six Ukrainian regions - the Kiev, Chernigov, Zhitomir, Ternopol, Lvov and Rovno regions - were without electricity on Monday morning due to adverse weather.

In addition, power supply was disrupted to consumers in the Dnepropetrovsk, Zakarpattia and Zhitomir regions due to technical causes prompted by the heat wave's impact on high-voltage equipment and power lines.

As many as 495 populated localities across Ukraine are currently without electricity for technical and other reasons.