Power outages in Kiev to last longer - YASNO head

MOSCOW. Jan 11 (Interfax) - Sergei Kovalenko, head of the Yasno company supplying electricity to the Ukrainian capital, has warned Kiev residents of probable power outages during periods indicated as light gray in the graphs, which means there will be power supply yet power outages are possible in case of larger imbalance in the power system.

"The current limitations are such that power outages are possible during light gray periods of the graphs. This is hard to accept after a long period without power outages, but that's the reality we have today. Generation is not growing, while consumption is on the rise. The deficit is getting bigger," the Ukrainian media quoted Kovalenko as saying on a social network on Tuesday evening.

He said one should be prepared for anything until the end of March.

Operators of the power distribution system, which are informed about the limits 24 hours in advance, need to supply electricity to critical infrastructure in the first turn, Kovalenko said.

"Power supply to such facilities must be continuous, they have the highest priority. These are hospitals and public utility enterprises. As a rule, they consume about 25%-30% of the total amount," he said.

Once that is done, the rest of electricity is distributed between households and businesses in a balanced manner, and "this is where lines and groups apply," Kovalenko said.

New graphs of stabilization power outages took effect in Kiev in early December. There are three categories: white graphs mean that power supply is guaranteed over such periods, while gray means the absence of power supply. Light gray indicates that power outages are possible if the energy system imbalance increases.