Ukrenergo forecasts 1% electricity shortage on Tues

MOSCOW. Jan 16 (Interfax) - Ukrenergo's dispatching center warns of a 1% possible shortage in the power system during the day, January 16.

The increase in the consumption due to the forecasted freezing weather and the fall in electricity production by the solar farms due to cloudy weather are behind the possible shortage, Ukrainian media reported, citing the company's statement on social media.

When electricity consumption starts to grow rapidly due to the freezing weather, it will be difficult for power plants to increase their production that fast and there is a threat of a shortage, the NEC said.

"In the period between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. the assistance of consumers is very important as the economical use of powerful electrical appliances, in particular, heaters and air conditioners, will lower the growth of consumption, accordingly reducing the load on power plants," Ukrenergo said.

One power plant unit was placed under emergency repair over the past 24 hours, while two more had their emergency and current repairs extended, and one unit was brought back into operation after repair, it said.

Twenty-nine communities in two regions remain blacked out for more than a day due to bad weather: 24 in the Kirovograd region (earlier in the day the Energy Ministry said that there were 30 communities without electricity in this region), and five in the Nikolayev region.

Despite the round-the-clock work of repair teams, the restoration is delayed due to a thick layer of ice on the wires and a lot of damage, it also said.

Consumers in the Dnepropetrovsk, Kiev and Sumy regions are cut off from electricity due to technical violations.

In total, 380 communities remain without power supply for other reasons.