Power outage in the country: Ukrenergo urges all Ukrainians to do only one thing

Emergency power outages have been introduced in Ukraine's Kharkiv region. During the hours of daily maximum consumption from 19:00 to 21:00, Ukrenergo's dispatch center calls for limiting the use of powerful energy-intensive appliances. In Kryvyi Rih, consumption limits for industrial consumers remain in effect.

During the evening peak hours of consumption, the power system lacks electricity as there was a deficit. To maintain the balance in the power system, Ukrenergo's Dispatch Center engages emergency assistance from the power system operators of Poland, Slovakia, and Romania in the total amount of 1800 MWh from 19:00 to 22:00.

Kharkiv region: difficult situation and new schedules

Kharkiv and the region have updated the schedules of hourly power outages. The current schedule is valid from April 10 to April 14, and the updated one is valid from April 14 to April 21. The relevant document was published in the regional administration. It contains the names of settlements, streets, queues and the period when there will be no electricity. It is assumed that consumers should have their electricity cut off for 3 hours a day, not 7 hours as before April 14.

The regional power company also warned residents of the region that there is still a risk of unplanned outages. "After the enemy shelling, the situation with power supply in Kharkiv and Kharkiv region remains difficult," Kharkivoblenergo said.

"We are currently analyzing the consequences of the enemy attack and, if necessary, will introduce network restrictions based on the current situation in the power system. Once again, we ask you to be patient and understand the possible unplanned outages and the inconveniences that may arise in this regard," the power company explained.

Kyiv region: Trypillia TPP is out of commission

Firefighting and debris removal will take place at the Trypillia thermal power plant in Ukrainka for several days, Deputy Energy Minister Svitlana Hrinchuk said during a TV marathon. The power company managed to avoid power outages in the Kyiv region because it used different schemes for connecting and reconnecting consumers.

"It's hard to say for sure (when the consequences will be known - Ed.) as the debris is still being cleared and the fire is being extinguished. Unfortunately, this will take several days as the destruction was really significant. And I think that in a few days we will have a clearer picture of whether it will be possible to restore some equipment or restore the station at least privately. Or we will already be looking for other sources, i.e. relying on other generation facilities," Hrinchuk said.

Will there be a new blackout and when to expect scheduled outages

In the spring of 2024, Russia moved to a new phase of energy terror in Ukraine, targeting thermal power plants (TPPs). "Today we have such circumstances that almost every thermal power plant has been damaged," Volodymyr Omelchenko, director of energy programs at the Razumkov Center, told OBOZ.UA.

According to him, the situation has become even more complicated after the destruction of the Trypillia TPP by the Russians, but there have been no fundamental changes. Former Minister of Energy and Chairman of the All-Ukrainian Energy Assembly Ivan Plachkov added that the situation with Ukraine's energy supply should be considered in a comprehensive manner, not by individual regions.

According to Plachkov, it is unlikely to avoid large-scale scheduled blackouts in the summer. "It is possible that there will be reductions in electricity supply and schedules of blackouts in the summer. We are already compensating for electricity through imports," he said.

Omelchenko makes somewhat different predictions. "In the current situation, the country is not facing a total blackout, and there will be no massive blackouts across Ukraine," the expert emphasizes. However, his calculations apply only to the current situation, and in the event of repeated shelling, "a completely new situation will arise," the expert said.

Hrinchuk also believes that blackout schedules may be introduced in the event of new shelling. "Possible blackout schedules will depend on how much the enemy continues to attack, how much our consumption will increase, how quickly we can restore or repair at least the equipment that is not so badly damaged and put it back into operation," she added.

As reported earlier, Ukraine has no plans to raise the electricity tariff from the current UAH 2.64 per 1 kWh, regardless of consumption. However, this cannot be ruled out, primarily because of the need to repair the power facilities damaged by the Russians.

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