In the summer, Ukrainians may face power outages due to a shortage of stable generation. The reason is the gradual withdrawal of nuclear power units into planned cooling and the insufficient capacity of solar power plants to cover evening demand.
This was stated by Serhiy Nagornyak, a member of the parliamentary committee on energy and housing and communal services (Servant of the People). According to him, the main threat will be in the evening, when people return home and actively use electrical appliances, including air conditioners in hot weather.
Energoatom traditionally shuts down some of its units in the spring and summer for scheduled maintenance planned for years ahead. Thus, a third of the capacity will be periodically taken out of operation. This means that the main generation, which is capable of operating evenly around the clock, will decrease.
At the same time, renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power plants cannot reliably cover evening consumption. “The sun sets and generation drops. Wind is not guaranteed. And without industrial storage, we cannot balance the system,” explains Nagornyak.
However, according to him, outages can be completely avoided if changes are urgently made to energy policy.
In particular, it is proposed:
-
review price caps for imported electricity so that traders can sell it in Ukraine at market prices;
-
oblige the state-owned companies Energoatom and Ukrhydroenergo to purchase electricity abroad in the evening hours, even at a higher price, in order to ensure stability for the population.
"We bought more expensively and sold cheaper, but without disconnections. This is important," the deputy concluded.
While the government is preparing a decision, experts are already warning: in the event of hot weather with active use of air conditioners, electricity shortages will become a reality.
