Ukrenergo predicts minor electricity restrictions in winter and explains under what conditions
Kyiv • UNN
Due to low temperatures in winter in Ukraine, one stage in the hourly outage schedules may be applied. No restrictions are expected at temperatures above 0°C. Minor restrictions are expected in December, January and February.
In Ukraine, when temperatures are low in winter, namely minus 10-15 degrees, power companies can apply one stage in of the hourly outage schedules. If the temperature does not drop below 0 degrees, no restrictions are expected.
This was stated by Acting Head of Ukrenergo Oleksii Brekht during a visiting meeting of the Committee on Energy and Housing and Communal Services, UNN reports .
Last week, the company prepared an updated forecast balance sheet for the respective autumn-winter period and submitted it. We expect the relevant document to be approved in the coming days. The document envisages a total of three months - December, January, and February - during which we may face some minor restrictions on electricity consumption. When I say minor, I mean about 100 million kWh per month. That is, in simple terms, it is about 120-130 megawatt-hours, if we talk about the corresponding deficit in terms of hours or days
He noted that it may not be available on weekends, but on weekdays, especially during the morning and evening peak, the restrictions may apply in three months: December, January, and February.
“The forecasted balance was made for two scenarios: a zero temperature regime and a regime of negative ambient temperatures of 10-15 degrees for three or more days. If we are talking about zero temperatures, we are actually dealing with minimal restrictions at maximum consumption, they can reach 500-1000 MW, let me remind you that in the relevant period, this is one stage of the GPO out of six, that is, four hours of consumption restrictions per day for all categories of consumers,” Brekht explained.
According to him, if we talk about the temperature of 10-15 degrees below zero, the power deficit in the integrated power system can be from 2 to 2.5 thousand MW, which means two stages of the GWP, i.e. 8 hours of consumption restrictions per day.
Once again, these are the limit values and the company has worked out compensation factors that provide for an increase in the amount of electricity imports of the limit value
He noted that colleagues from the German transmission system operators are currently performing relevant calculations, which indicate that it is potentially possible to increase the amount of imports by 300 MW at a minimum, i.e. to a total of 2 gigawatts, which will actually compensate for the corresponding amount by at least a third.
“Accordingly, the set of these measures gives us a clear understanding that at temperatures characterized by either zero or positive values in winter, we will exist and go through this period without restrictions. If we are talking about a temperature of minus 10-15 degrees, then restrictions are possible, they in my understanding should not reach more than 1000-1500 gigawatts of capacity, which will be commensurate with one turn of hourly outage schedules,” Brekht said.
