13 Feb 2023 12:06

Power outage schedules in Ukraine to be reinstated as working week begins - DTEK

MOSCOW. Feb 13 (Interfax) - A combination of factors, such as increased generation, reduced electricity consumption amid weekend and warmer weather, and repairs of power grids, helped avoid power outages on Sunday, yet Ukrainians should brace for power outage schedules on working days, DTEK Executive Director Dmitry Sakharuk said.

"A combination of several factors allows avoiding consumption limits today, on a given day. However, there will be a working day tomorrow, consumption will increase, and power outage schedules will apply," the Ukrainian media quoted Sakharuk as saying during the United News national telethon on Sunday.

The reconnection of several thermal and nuclear power plant units, increased generation by solar power plants in good weather, and repaired power grids increased power generation and supply, he said.

Warmer weather, longer daytime and reduced consumption on weekends also play a positive role, Sakharuk said.

"We still have many severely damaged sites that have not been fully repaired, such as Odessa, the Kiev region, the Kharkov region and Zaporozhye," he said.

As reported earlier, all nine nuclear power plant units available to Ukraine are currently at work. The energy system acquired additional 1,220MW capacity in the past few days after the end of repairs at a nuclear power plant unit and an increase of another unit's output by 220 MW at the end of repairs of a turbo-generator.

Meanwhile the Ukrainian media quoted Ukrenergo as saying that the Ukrainian energy system had no capacity deficit on Sunday, February 12.

"Round-the-clock work of Ukrenergo repair teams aimed at resuming operation of two nuclear power plant units and the decreased consumption on the weekend prevented the capacity deficit from happening," the company said in its daily update on social media.

It said however that consumption remained substantial because of colder weather.

"Restrictions may be reinstated at the beginning of the working week with a characteristic increase in consumption," the company said.