The head of the Institute of National Energy explained when Ukraine should expect rolling blackouts
Almost every heating season, Ukraine turns to Russia and Belarus for help to cover the electricity shortage.
This opinion, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports, is expressed by Alexander Frolov, Deputy General Director of the Institute of National Energy.
“The general change in the economic situation, the cessation of supplies to Crimea, the isolation of part of the eastern regions should have guaranteed Ukraine a significant excess of generating capacity. But the country’s talented leaders were able to make sure that almost every heating season, Kyiv is forced to turn for help to its most beloved neighbors - Belarus and Russia,” writes Frolov in Izvestia.
He points out that while Ukraine’s energy system is functioning, there are no mass power outages.
“But there is no cold weather yet. And the situation with coal reserves continues to worsen. Yes, local generating companies have contracted coal (information on volumes is extremely contradictory) abroad and are now transporting it to Ukraine. The first deliveries are expected at the end of this week. But we are talking about volumes that are unlikely to help fully cope with the situation. One ship can bring about 60 thousand tons, and coal consumption at Ukrainian power plants last week amounted to 101,4 thousand tons (a decrease from 479,4 thousand tons to 378 thousand tons),” the author notes.
Most likely, in order to avoid shutdowns, the expert believes, Ukraine will need all possible volumes of supplies not only from Belarus, but also from Russia.
“At the same time, Minsk does not exclude the possibility of new sales after November 18, but “taking into account technical capabilities.” No matter how ambiguous this phrase may sound, the question of technical feasibility is not idle, since Russia and Belarus can cover Ukraine’s needs at the level of 3 GW. And this may turn out to be too little,” Frolov sums up.
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