Сan’t work without shutdowns: Ukraine’s energy system has become more fragile than a year ago – The New York Times

The energy system of Ukraine has become more fragile than it was a year ago. It hasn’t been fully repaired following last year’s Russian shelling, and there’s a shortage of backup equipment, particularly transformers.

This information was reported by the American newspaper, The New York Times.

Ukrainian authorities declined to provide official information about the state of the energy system, citing wartime conditions. However, experts indicate that the generation remains at about half of the pre-war period, similar to April.

“The safety margin, or the safety buffer, this year is smaller when we speak about the equipment that is in operation,” said Volodymyr Kudritsky, the head of “Ukrenergo.”

The situation appears “especially grim” for thermal power plants that balance the system during peak consumption. It’s expected that their energy production will be at one-third of pre-war levels, as reported by the NYT.

“It’s impossible to fully restore energy facilities built over decades in less than a year,” stated Alexei Kucherenko, deputy head of the energy committee.

The loss of generation is so significant that some experts question whether Ukraine can manage without power outages during winter even without Russian shelling, as mentioned in the publication.

Recall that recently, “Ukrenergo” reported a deficit of electricity in Ukraine’s energy system due to the cold weather and snowfall, marking the first time in a long while. This shortage is linked to increased incidents affecting power plant units and insufficient imports of electricity from the EU.