Ukraine Negotiating Increased Electricity Imports from EU to Offset Russian Attacks
Ukraine Negotiating Increased Electricity Imports from EU to Offset Russian Attacks
KYIV (Reuters) – Ukraine is in talks to boost its imports of electricity from European Union countries in order to make up for the generation capacity lost due to Russian attacks, the Ukrainian energy minister announced on Friday.
Since March, Russian missile and drone strikes on Ukraine’s energy sector have escalated, causing significant damage and widespread blackouts in many regions. The government estimates that these attacks have resulted in over $1 billion in damages and the loss of 8,000 MWh of generating capacity.
Currently, Ukraine is limited to importing no more than 1,700 MWh of electricity from EU states simultaneously. Energy Minister German Galushchenko stated, “We’re negotiating. Our goal is to maximize this figure.” He added, “Technically, we can receive more than 2,000 MWh, even 2,400 MWh. I’m confident a decision will be reached.”
While the exact amount of increased imports is still being discussed, Maxim Timchenko, the head of Ukraine’s largest private energy company, DTEK, suggested that raising the limit to 2,200 MWh could significantly improve the situation. DTEK has suffered a loss of about 90% of its power generation capacity due to recent Russian attacks.
Data from DTEK shows that Ukraine’s electricity consumption dropped from around 13,000 MWh before the attacks to 9,100 MWh after the assaults on the energy system. As a result of power shortages, Ukrenergo, the Ukrainian power grid operator, has had to implement regular shutdowns of industrial consumers and households while maintaining high import rates.
The economy ministry warned that problems with power generation could have a “potentially negative impact” on industry, particularly on the largest electricity consumers. The situation remains critical as Ukraine continues to navigate the challenges posed by the ongoing conflict.
(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk; editing by David Evans)
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