Power consumption limits absent in Ukraine for 10th consecutive day

MOSCOW. Feb 21 (Interfax) - The Ukrenergo power grid operator has not introduced electricity consumption limits in Ukraine's regions for Tuesday, February 21, for the tenth day in a row, Ukrainian media said, citing distribution system operators.

"Ukrenergo has not submitted electricity consumption limits for Tuesday. This will help avoid power outages in Kiev and the Odessa and Dnepropetrovsk regions, while consumption measurements will be carried out in the Kiev region," Ukrainian media outlets quoted DTEK as saying on social media.

Scheduled power cuts should not be applied while consumption measurements are in progress, DTEK said, adding that it will help find out actual consumption levels in order to set the limits more accurately.

However, parts of the Bucha, Fastov and Obukhov districts may face scheduled power outages because of the damage sustained by Ukrenergo's networks. Transmission constraints may also cause power cuts in Odessa and the Odessa area.

The Ukrainian energy system has been operating stably with a capacity margin, but power supply to the Ukraine's central and western regions has been restricted because of strong winds, Ukrainian media said, citing Energy Minister German Galushchenko.

"The levels of generation are fully covering consumption, also having a sufficient capacity margin for growing demand," Ukrainian media quoted Galushchenko as saying in a statement circulated by the Energy Ministry on social media.

At the same time, strong winds damaged power lines in Ukraine's central and western regions in the past day, most seriously in the Khmelnitsky region, where 18,000 consumers are left without electricity.

"Energy sector teams are working actively and plan to restore power supply by the end of the day," the ministry said.