Thermal power generation to compensate drop in HPP capacity in Ukraine - DTEK

MOSCOW. June 9 (Interfax) -Capacity reduction by hydroelectric power plants due to the need to reduce the volume of water discharged into the Kakhovka Reservoir, the lowest in the Dnieper cascade, will be compensated by an increase in thermal power generation, DTEK Executive Director Dmitry Sakharuk said.

"The entire system will now be adapting, on the one hand, in order to reduce the volume of water dumped in the Kakhovka Reservoir and on the other hand, to ensure the sufficiency of the balancing capacity with the help of thermal power plants. Due to the fact that hydropower plants are generating a bit less [electricity] right now, our plants are supplying additional generation into the system so as to keep consumers free of outages," Ukrainian media quoted Sakharuk as saying as he spoke on the Pryamyi TV Channel late on Thursday.

The work of thermal power plants, which perform the balancing function in the electric grid system alongside hydroelectric power plants, will be very important now, especially during peak loads, he said. He drew attention to the request of Ukrenergo to cut on electricity consumption during peak hours in order to make the system's balancing easier.

In general, the system is balanced, and there are no limitations, Sakharuk said.

Energoatom said, for its part, that it will try to reduce the time of repair of the power units of its nuclear power plants (four out of nine power units are currently down for repairs) in order to increase electricity production.