Grid operator reports damaged combined heating and power plant in southern Ukraine

MOSCOW. Nov 30 (Interfax) - A combined heating and power plant in the southern part of Ukraine has been damaged, Ukrainian media have reported with reference to the national power grid operator Ukrenergo.

Heating supply to customers has not been disrupted, but the plant's generating capacity is limited now, it said.

To maintain steady power supply in the southern part of the country, a thermal power plant unit and a 330 kV power transmission line that was earlier disabled by the storm have been connected to the grid, it said.

"Electricity generated by Ukrainian power plants is currently not enough to meet the demand of households and businesses. Sunny weather facilitates generation of a larger amount of electricity by solar power plants," it said.

Ukraine imported electricity chiefly at night and evening hours from Slovakia, Romania, and Moldova, it said.

While no power consumption limits have been set and no outage schedules have been applied or are planned, a power shortage in the grid is possible from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Ukrenergo said.

As of the morning of December 30, a total of 191 communities in the Dnepropetrovsk, Kirovograd, Nikolayev, Odessa, Cherkassy, and Sumy regions were cut off from power supply due to adverse weather.