Weekend electricity consumption in Ukraine hits record high - Ukrenergo

MOSCOW. Aug 21 (Interfax) - A record high level of electricity consumption over the weekend was once again registered in Ukraine on Sunday, August 20, and was 0.3% higher than the previous maximum recorded on Saturday, August 5, Ukrainian media said, citing the Ukrenergo power grid operator.

Like air temperatures, electricity consumption was abnormally high this past weekend and on Saturday saw a 5% rise versus Saturday the week before, and on Sunday a 10% increase versus Sunday the week before, Ukrenergo said on social media on Monday.

Data available on the ENTSO-E website shows that electricity imports to Ukraine grew 27% to 5,959 MWh on Saturday, August 19 week-on-week. Estimates, including data from the Ukrainian Energy Ministry, because information for Moldova is not included in this day's figures, indicate that electricity imports to Ukraine increase 44% to 6,295 MWh on Sunday, August 20 week-on-week. Electricity imports from Poland also resumed over the weekend after a few days' absence, standing at 1,830 MWh on each day.

Several overhead power lines and electrical substations have been disconnected from the grid over the past day, Ukrenergo and the Energy Ministry said. A 150 kV substation and two 150 kV power lines in the Kirovograd region were disconnected from the grid for technical reasons, limiting generation at three solar power plants for several hours. More than 8,000 consumers were left without electricity after a 150 kV overhead power line was disconnected from the grid in the Dnepropetrovsk region.

Technical difficulties disrupted the operations of two 10 kV power lines in the Sumy region, leaving 1,500 households in three populated localities without electricity. A 330 kV line that supplies power to the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant was also temporarily disconnected from the grid.

Nearly 470 towns and villages remained without electricity on Monday morning for various reasons, including adverse weather conditions, Ukrenergo said.