Ukrainians told what causes power outages
17 June 2024 16:58
The schedules of stabilisation blackouts are affected by many factors, including weather conditions. According to Ukrenergo CEO Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, cloudy weather leads to a decrease in energy production at solar power plants, which deepens the overall deficit, reports [Kommersant].
“Our power system, having lost more than 9 GW of capacity due to shelling, now has no safety margin. Previously, we had additional power plants that could be switched on quickly, we covered ourselves by switching on some hydroelectric units or thermal power plants, but now we simply do not have such a manoeuvre,” Kudrytskyi explained.
He noted that in the event of sharp changes in energy consumption or production at solar power plants, the system is forced to balance by cutting off electricity. The situation is complicated by the constant power shortage in Ukraine, the destruction of generation facilities, and the shutdown of nuclear power plants for repairs. All this only increases dependence on the weather. In the long term, the shelling will only increase dependence on weather factors.
Serhiy Kovalenko, CEO of YASNO, shares a similar opinion. According to him, the reason for the extension of the restrictions is the predicted dense cloud cover in most regions of Ukraine, which will force solar power plants to reduce electricity production. As a result, the power system will experience an increase in the deficit.
“Solar power plants are very active during the day. They generate significant amounts of electricity and enable PSPPs to collect water to produce electricity in the evening. So far, the weather forecast directly affects whether we will have electricity in the evening or not,” Kovalenko said.
What is the current situation with electricity in Ukraine?
Today, the restrictions are in effect across Ukraine from 08:00 to 24:00. Due to the weather conditions, 14 settlements in Sumy and Chernihiv regions are without power in the morning. For other reasons, 471 settlements are without power supply.
New power outages in Sumy, Kharkiv, and Kherson regions due to hostilities. For technical reasons, there are blackouts in Dnipropetrovska and Odeska oblasts.
Meanwhile, Ukrenergo reported that on 17 June it reduced the time for applying restrictions. The reason is a decrease in consumption compared to the forecast due to the cool weather. People have started using air conditioners less, which take up a large share of capacity.
