Ukraine repairs at damaged power plants ease shortage

• 1 year, 9 months ago (2023-02-03)
• David Flin

Europe 1088 Transmission 191

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Ukraine’s energy ministry has announced that the country has restarted several repaired power units at power plants damaged in Russian missile attacks, easing the country’s power shortages.

Russian attacks on energy facilities have led to widespread power shortages and blackouts across Ukraine.

Energy ministry officials said that about 40 per cent of the system had been damaged by the Russian attacks. However, after repairs, it said: “The expected deficit at the evening peak will be about 19 per cent of demand.” The power shortage reached 25 per cent at the end of January. The ministry added that warm weather would also help reduce demand on the strained power system. It said that hostilities in the eastern regions of Donetsk, Kherson, and Kharkiv were creating “the most difficult situation with power outages.”

National power grid operator Ukrenergo said in a separate statement that power facilities had been subjected to and survived 13 waves of Russian missile attacks and 15 waves of drones.

Around 10 GW of generating capacity are under Russian control in illegally occupied areas, including the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest.