Due to the abnormal heat in Ukraine and Europe, electricity consumption has reached a critical level, exceeding production capabilities. Ukrenergo is taking measures to compensate for the deficit, including blackout schedules and electricity imports.
Energy crisis
Record electricity consumption
Ukraine faced an unprecedented challenge in the energy sector. The abnormal heat that gripped the country and Europe led to record electricity consumption. According to Ukrenergo, the demand for electricity has exceeded the production capacity of Ukrainian power plants. To resolve the situation, hourly shutdown schedules were introduced on July 15: three shifts operated until 4:00 p.m., and four from 4:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m.
Factors causing shortage
The main cause of the energy deficit was Russian attacks on energy infrastructure facilities. Since the beginning of the year, there have been 8 large-scale attacks, resulting in the loss of 9 GW of production capacity. This figure is equivalent to the peak-hour summer electricity consumption of countries such as the Netherlands, Finland, or Slovakia and the Baltic countries combined.
International aid and imports
To overcome the crisis, Ukraine turned to neighboring countries for help. On July 14, from 01:00 to 07:00 and the next day from 11:00 to 18:00, our state received an emergency supply of electricity from Poland and Slovakia. In addition, the Polish power system also provided emergency assistance at night. During the day, 25,126 MWh of electricity was imported from Romania, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary with a maximum capacity of 1336 MW. However, due to the heat and increased consumption in Europe, the volume of imports decreased.
The situation in the regions
Many Ukrainian regions felt the consequences of the energy crisis. 495 settlements remained without electricity. Of them, 446 - due to abnormal heat (in Kyiv, Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, Ternopil, Lviv, Rivne regions). In the Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Sumy, Kharkiv, and Kherson regions, the outages are related to hostilities. Technical reasons caused by the effects of heat on equipment and the consequences of hostilities caused problems in Dnipropetrovsk, Zakarpattia and Zhytomyr regions.
Forecasts for the future
According to the Chairman of the Board of Ukrenergo Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, the situation in the Ukrainian energy system should begin to improve at the end of July. The heat is expected to drop closer to the 20s, and available generation in the power system will also increase. This should reduce the load on the network. Kudrytsky predicts that in August the situation will become even better, and in September-October there are good chances to avoid large-scale and frequent shutdowns.
Glossary
- Ukrenergo is the national energy company of Ukraine, operator of the electricity transmission system
- GW (gigawatt) - unit of measurement of power equal to one billion watts
- MW*h (megawatt-hour) - unit of measurement of energy equal to one million watt-hours
- Volodymyr Kudrytskyi - Chairman of the Board of Ukrenergo
- Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe, which was invaded by Russia in 2022
Links
- Message from Ukrenergo on the electricity situation
- Interview with the Chairman of the Board of Ukrenergo Volodymyr Kudrytskyi
Answers to questions
Why did Ukraine have a problem with electricity supply?
How does Ukraine solve the problem of electricity shortage?
How many settlements remained without electricity?
When is the electricity situation expected to improve?
Does Ukraine export electricity in the current situation?
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Discussion of the topic – Record electricity consumption in Ukraine: the heat challenges the power system
Due to the abnormal heat, electricity consumption in Ukraine reached a maximum, exceeding the capacity of power plants. Ukrenergo introduced shutdown schedules to compensate for the deficit.
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Oleksandra
Oh, this heat... 🥵 The air conditioner is working at full blast, but the electricity bills will be cosmic. Anyone else feeling the effects of this abnormal heat?
Markus
Yes, Oleksandra, I have the same situation. But I try to save - I turn on the air conditioner only in the hottest hours. Also these disconnections... Maybe someone knows how to effectively cool the premises without an air conditioner? 🤔
Sophie
Markus, try blacking out the windows with reflective curtains or film. It really helps! And I also use a fan with a bottle of frozen water in front of it - cool air is guaranteed 😉
Ivan
I wonder what Ukrenergo plans to do next? 🤨 Are we really going to have to endure these outages all summer? Sophie, thanks for the tips, I'll definitely give it a try!
Klaus
Well, again these newfangled things. Previously, we lived without air conditioners and nothing, we survived. And now everyone is pampered. Also these disconnections... Thu!
Oleksandra
Ivan, I read that the situation should improve at the end of July. I hope it will be so. In the meantime, maybe it's worth thinking about alternative energy sources? 🌞 Solar panels, for example.
Sophie
Oleksandra, great idea! 👍 I have been thinking about installing solar panels for a long time. This is not only environmentally friendly, but also economically beneficial in the long run. Does anyone have experience using them?
Markus
Sophie, my neighbor has solar panels. He says that he is very satisfied - the electricity bills have decreased significantly. But the initial investment is quite large. Maybe it's worth teaming up with the neighbors and installing it on the whole house? 🏘️