"The risks are high enough": an expert commented on the likely power outages

Power outages can occur not only due to shortages but also due to the condition of the grids. The issue is that generating electrical energy, for example, at a nuclear power plant, is one thing, while transmitting and delivering it to the end consumer is another.

Stanislav Ignatiev, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Chairman of the Board of the Ukrainian Association of Renewable Energy, General Director of Solar Generation, said this on Espresso.

What is the problem

According to him, last summer, when "green" generation together with "Ukrhydroenergo" saved the generation in Ukraine, there was even the possibility of export operations. But it should not be forgotten that today electricity consumption in Ukraine is at the level of 9.2-9.4 gigawatt-hours. This is a sufficiently large volume.

As the expert added, except for the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Ukraine has nine nuclear power units, seven of which are operational - one is undergoing emergency repairs, and the other is undergoing planned maintenance. Thus, we have lost capacity in thermal and hydro generation - these are the so-called capacities for balancing the power system.

"So, there may be restrictions on "green" generation, especially solar, as was the case last Sunday when there was an excess of electricity production, but there was no way to balance the energy system. So all industrial solar power plants across the country had to be shut down for the entire daylight hours," Ignatiev emphasized.

He adds: power outages can occur not only due to a deficit but also due to the state of the grids. Generating electricity, for example, at a nuclear power plant is one thing, but transmitting and delivering it to the end consumer is quite another.

"We remember that the enemy, during the past heating season and in these large-scale operations, attack not only generation facilities but also elements of the energy system, including large substations of the state-owned company "Ukrenergo", so there are also quite high risks here," the energy expert summed up.

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