Ukrainian traders testing power imports from Slovakia

MOSCOW. Oct 26 (Interfax) - Ukrainian traders, such as LLC D. Trading, LLC ERU and state-run Energy Company of Ukraine, are exploring the possibility of electric power imports, including from Slovakia, amid the cancellation of power exports to Europe, as demonstrated by daily interconnection auctions of Ukrenergo.

The Ukrainian media said with the reference to auction results published on the Ukrenergo website that the aforesaid companies booked various interconnection capacities on certain days between October 16 and 27 [auctions are held two days before delivery]. The largest booking was made by D. Trading - 50MW for four daytime hours on October 16 and 23 and 35MW for five daytime hours on October 26.

Energy Company of Ukraine booked 3MW for 4.00 and 2MW for 5.00 on October 24, 1MW for 5.00 on October 25, and 1MW for 13.00 on October 26-27."ERU booked 1MW for 4.00 on October 22.

The interconnection price was UAH0 per MW/h on every day of the auction that involved the companies. The auctioned interconnection varied from 50MW to 170MW per hour depending on the day.

Meanwhile, the ENTSO-E website recorded the only physical delivery made in the period until October 26 on October 16 when D. Trading booked the 50MW interconnection for four hours.

As reported earlier, commercial power exports, which began with 100MW delivered to Romania in late June, was suspended on October 11 for the sake of stabilization of the Ukrainian power grid. By then, the interconnection grew to 300MW, including 150MW for Romania and 150MW for Slovakia. In addition, 220MW were exported to Poland and Moldova.

Ukrenergo head Vladimir Kudritsky said on October 24 that the European network of power transmission operators ENTSO-E increased the volume of commercial exchanges between Ukraine and Europe to 400MW for exports and 500MW for imports (Ukrenergo said it stood at 300MW in both directions). Kudritsky said that Ukraine had yet to begin power imports but there was such a technical capacity, same as a possibility to request emergency assistance from the European Union.