This winter, Ukraine has avoided large-scale power outages thanks to mild temperature conditions; however, against the backdrop of a forecast for a sharp drop in temperatures, the situation may change.
When to expect power outages is explained by Stanislav Ignatiev, chairman of the Ukrainian Renewable Energy Association,
for Telegraph.
Starting from February 5, a temperature drop to -16°C is forecasted in Ukraine, which could lead to a power deficit due to increased load on the energy system. According to Stanislav Ignatiev, the average daily temperature in the country has decreased to -10°C. Under such conditions, the electricity deficit during peak loads, particularly in the morning and evening, could reach 4 Gigawatt-hours.
“In the last three years, we have observed that at a temperature of -5°C, Ukraine experiences a power deficit of around 2 Gigawatt-hours, especially during peak consumption,” Ignatiev reports.
At the same time, Stanislav Ignatiev clarified that currently, the deficit can be covered at a level of 2.1 Gigawatt-hours with energy supplies from their European partners. However, if this resource is insufficient, energy dispatchers may resort to stabilization outages in the morning and evening.