Photo: Getty Images
Ukraine could face a spike in electricity consumption of up to one gigawatt next week due to an expected heatwave, First Deputy Prime Minister and Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal said.
During a meeting with the leadership of Ukrenergo, Energoatom, Ukrhydroenergo, Naftogaz and the National Energy and Utilities Regulatory Commission (NEURC), officials discussed measures to maintain the stability of the power system during the anticipated peak in demand.
The situation is further complicated by scheduled maintenance at several power generation facilities, including nuclear power units.
To reduce risks, the Energy Ministry has instructed energy companies to implement several measures, including:
- adjusting maintenance schedules at power generation facilities, particularly at nuclear power plants;
- preparing to increase electricity imports while encouraging businesses to purchase imported electricity for their own needs;
- maximizing the use of available domestic generation, especially additional gas-fired generation and existing thermal power plants.
“We expect these and additional measures to fully meet consumers’ electricity needs,” Shmyhal said.
At the same time, Ukrenergo is preparing for the possibility of introducing electricity consumption restrictions for industry and businesses if the load on the power grid reaches critical levels.
Energy officials are urging consumers to use electricity sparingly during peak hours between 4 p.m. and 11 p.m.
Earlier this year, Ukrenergo warned that cybercriminals operating from Russia had been distributing fake emails allegedly sent by the company. The messages encouraged recipients to download malicious files disguised as blackout schedules or electricity bills. Ukrenergo stressed that it never sends such documents via email.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's largest private energy company DTEK recently explained that during scheduled outages, electricity is disconnected at substations supplying entire neighborhoods rather than individual buildings, which is why multiple apartment blocks or districts may lose power at the same time.
