Ukraine to double power imports due to Russia

Ukraine intends to double electricity imports after a powerful Russian attack on its energy system, the Energy Ministry said Thursday.

The imports were expected to begin on Thursday and rise to 16,699 megawatt hours (Mwh) from 7,600 Mwh on Wednesday, the ministry said on the Telegram messaging app.

The planned imports are close to the record high of 18,649 Mwh, which was recorded at the end of March after the first wave of Russian attacks on the Ukrainian energy sector.

Since late March, the Ukrainian energy sector has been the target of several massive Russian missile and drone attacks, causing blackouts in many regions and raising the issue of decentralization of generating capacity.

State-run energy company Ukrhydroenergo on Thursday said its two hydropower plants were severely damaged earlier this week and were no longer in operation after Russian bombardments.

“As of today, all hydro generation has suffered devastating damage,” it said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app, adding that significant financial resources and efforts would be required to repair the damage and restore the plants’ operations.

Ukraine operated 10 hydropower plants prior to the Russian invasion in 2022, which produced about 10% of all Ukrainian electricity.

In 2023, Russian forces blew up the Kakhovska hydropower plant. After the latest attacks, seven plants are still operating, but at significantly reduced capacity.

Ukrainian officials have said the country had also lost about 80% of its thermal-power generation and now has to rely increasingly on its three nuclear power plants, which produce about 60% of its electricity.

Thermal-power and hydroelectric power generation are needed to keep the levels of supply and consumption balanced during peak hours of energy consumption in the morning and evening.

EMERGENCY HELP

“Today, at Ukraine’s request, emergency electricity supplies have already been made from Poland, Romania, and Slovakia,”

the ministry said.

Emergency assistance would also be provided during evening peak hours of electricity consumption, it said.

Ukrainian power-grid operator Ukrenergo said in a separate statement it expected a significant deficit of electricity for almost the entire day.

“Industrial consumption will be limited from 18:00 to 24:00,” Ukrenergo said. “With an increase in consumption, emergency shutdowns are possible.”

The company previously said its distribution substations were repeatedly attacked. German Minister for Economic Cooperation Svenja Schulze, who was visiting Kyiv on Thursday, said Berlin had allocated a €45 million grant for Ukrenergo.

“This package is very flexible,” Schulze told reporters. “With this package, Ukraine is able to repair, to secure... transmission lines and substations.”

Ukraine, a net power exporter before the Russian invasion in 2022, sharply increased imports of electricity and halted exports after a series attacks on the energy system in late March, April, and May.

(Reuters)