Abkhazia to tighten power outage schedule

SUKHUM. Feb 1 (Interfax) - Abkhazia is tightening the power outage schedule on February 1 as electricity flow from Russia will drop compared to January, Chernomorenergo said in a statement.

"The flow amounted to 250 mln kW/h in January. It will decrease to 190 mln kW/h in February, while the daily power consumption will remain unchanged at 11 mln kW/h," the company said.

The tightened power outage schedule will also affect Abkhazia's regions receiving energy from the Ingur Hydropower Plant. This is due to a critically low water level in the Dzhvari reservoir (410 meters) and low water inflow, Chernomorenergo said.

"The restrictions will apply to all categories of users, as high voltage power lines rather than particular sub-stations will be disconnected," Chernomorenergo said.

There will be two-hour power outages three times a day, according to the published schedule.

Power consumption in Abkhazia had grown 15% year on year, the company said in the statement.

The power outage schedule was implemented across Abkhazia in late November 2022 due to the increased energy consumption in winter and the lower water level in the Ingur HPP reservoir. At the request of Abkhazia's government, Russia supplies electricity to Sukhum and Abkhazia's western regions, while the country's eastern regions receive electricity from the Ingur HPP on the Abkhaz-Georgian border.