Ukraine restoring power supply to consumers affected by inclement weather

MOSCOW. Dec 20 (Interfax) - Efforts to restore the power supply to consumers de-energized due to bad weather are ongoing in three Ukrainian regions, amid an overall drop in electricity consumption due to warmer weather.

Twenty-one communities in the Dnepropetrovsk region have been cut off from electricity supply due to inclement weather, the Ukrainian media reported on Wednesday, citing a statement released by the Ukrenergo company. The situation is complicated in the Kiev-controlled part of the Donetsk region where more than 60 communities remain de-energized by this morning. Efforts to restore power supply to consumers in the Kharkov region are also ongoing.

At the same time, consumers in the Lvov region are de-energized due to technical damage.

In total, 442 communities remain without electricity for technological and other reasons, the system operator said.

At the same time, four power units were placed in emergency repair at the thermal power plants, and two power units were switched on following the repair over the past 24 hours. One of the thermal power plants in the eastern region was also placed in emergency repair.

"Electricity produced by power plants of all types is enough to provide power supply to all legal and household consumers," Ukrenergo said.

On December 20, electricity is being imported throughout most of the day from Slovakia, Romania, and Moldova with a total volume of 3,981 MWh, and with a peak capacity of up to 468 MW in some hours. There is no export of electricity as usual for December.

Since December 1, the technical capacity to import electricity from Europe to Ukraine and Moldova has been 1,700 MW.