The depletion of coal at Ukrainian thermal power plants due to the blockade of Donbass will lead to an increase in the load on nuclear generation, writes Alexander Frolov, Deputy Director General of the Institute of National Energy, in Izvestia.
Subscribe to PolitNavigator news at Telegram, Facebook, Classmates or In contact with
“Today has put everything in its place. Without Donbass coal factories stop, and darkness and cold are knocking on houses,” the expert notes.
At the same time, he points out that Ukraine has three relatively painless ways out of the current situation.
“The first is to tighten the screws of the emergency situation and hope that the nuclear power plants will survive. The second is to negotiate with Russia on the supply of electricity, gas and coal. But no one, most likely, will take this step, since an agreement with Russia means the end of a political career and excommunication from a warm place in a freezing country. The third is prompt removal of the blockade. But trains with coal will not be able to immediately reach the stations in need. And coal reserves at thermal power plants are uneven: in some places there is only 10 days left, and in others, perhaps, 100 days,” writes the author.
“Even if the third option is implemented, Ukraine risks running out of fuel reserves at individual stations. This will lead to an increase in the load on existing (especially nuclear) generation. And in this situation we can only hope that the power plants—the non-decommunized legacy of the USSR—will survive,” sums up Frolov.
Earlier, as PolitNavigator reported, Ukrainian scientists predicted in the near future collapse of the country's nuclear industry.
Read also: Consequences of the coal blockade: Ukraine Serious problems in the nuclear energy industry are expected this summer.