Power crunch: Ukrenergo imposes new restrictions due to heatwave

Source: Ukrenergo

In response to soaring electricity consumption driven by extreme heat, Ukrenergo has announced a series of power cuts set to take place from 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM on Wednesday. The company will use a four-stage schedule, shifting to a three-stage schedule from 10:00 PM to midnight.

As the heatwave continues to put pressure on the power grid, Ukrenergo’s measures aim to prevent widespread blackouts and maintain stability in the electricity supply system.

The power grid operator has six categories of customers, though the list excludes critical infrastructure facilities. When it uses a three-stage schedule, it means that blackouts hit half of the energy consumers in every Ukrainian region, while a four-stage schedule affects even more consumers.

The company also reported that it had repaired the equipment that failed on July 16 at one of its unspecified power facilities, which earlier led to additional and longer blackouts across the country.

“On July 17, regional energy providers are imposing consumption restrictions throughout the entire day. The forecast indicates that the heat will remain at its peak, leading to a record level of electricity consumption, significantly exceeding the capacity of Ukrainian power plants to meet this demand,” Ukrenergo said in its statement.