The energy system of Ukraine is collapsing in the first days of cold weather

The energy system in Ukraine is facing a deficit. Romania, Slovakia and Poland are providing emergency assistance to Ukraine’s Ukrenergo. Ukrainians are once again urged to use electricity sparingly throughout the day.

There might be another deficit in power generation in the evening within Ukraine’s energy system. Imports from neighboring countries will be activated in that case. The deficit observed yesterday due to colder weather and snowfall was compensated by bringing four thermal power plant units out of maintenance. Nine nuclear units are operational with three thermal generation units in reserve.

The country faces a critical issue regarding the protection of infrastructure, particularly energy facilities. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has repeatedly stated that the upcoming winter will be challenging for the country’s energy system, despite funding being allocated for winter preparation. However, no restorative work has been carried out and the energy infrastructure is not prepared for the new heating season. This winter, Ukraine can expect rolling power outages for at least hours, as experienced last winter and potentially even lasting a day. There might even be localized heating shutdowns in specific regions of the country. Hence, the Ministry of Energy encourages the population to purchase autonomous generators for heating purposes.