Risks of power outage schedules in southern Russia due to weather conditions remain - Energy Ministry
MOSCOW. July 17 (Interfax) - There are still risks that power outage schedules will be introduced in southern Russia due to high temperatures, Deputy Energy Minister Yevgeny Grabchak said on the Rossiya 24 TV channel.
The Energy Ministry's priority is to reduce the load on the energy system, minimizing repairs, Grabchak said.
"Yesterday a situation occurred in the energy system when the summer peak consumption exceeded the traditional winter peak for the first time. This indicates that the energy system is now operating at its limit," he said.
"We're trying to help it [the southern Russian energy system] by minimizing the amount of technological work that is usually carried out in the summer in preparation for the winter peaks," Grabchak said.
He said the situation would improve as the Rostov nuclear plant stabilizes and the Novocherkassk State District Power Plant starts up following repairs.
"We hope there will be no need to impose emergency power outage schedules today. There are minor restrictions on industry during peak hours, but these restrictions are coordinated with the regional authorities. These are standard procedures that allow us to keep the energy system running smoothly during such peak consumption hours," he said.
Power supply in some regions of southern Russia was temporarily restricted on Tuesday after the Rostov NPP's generating equipment malfunctioned.
System Operator said power consumption hit an all-time high of 20,954 MW on Tuesday, 4 MW above the previous high on January 13, 2024.