Blackout Resumptions Possible Next Week

Rising temperatures expected next week might once again cause rolling blackouts in Ukraine due to existing energy deficit, said officials and Ukrenego, the country’s transmission network operator.

“What we will observe next week may lead to the fact that energy companies will have to apply blackout schedules,” Deputy Minister of Energy Svitlana Hrynchuk announced on television on Friday.

Ukrenergo issued similar warnings in a Telegram announcement.

“With the rise of the thermometer, the Ukrenergo Dispatch Center predicts a possible increase in consumption by 10-12 percent.

“In order to cover this level of consumption, it would be necessary to use an additional amount of power equal to the operation of several large power plants. Unfortunately, there is no additional capacity in the system. Ukraine’s power system is still recovering from eight massive missile and drone attacks by the Russians between March and July 2024,” the update read.

Ukrenergo called for locals to limit power consumption and air conditioning in particular, which uses a significant amount of energy.

In July, Ukraine experienced extensive blackouts with electricity available for only two hours a day at times due to the abnormal heat wave, coupled with the energy deficit caused by Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

As Kyiv Post established in an analysis, the eight massive airstrikes Russia launched on Ukraine’s energy sector since March, targeting generation facilities across the country, have left Ukraine with less than a fifth of its pre-war installed capacity, sometimes known as nameplate capacity.

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Russia Strikes Ukraine’s Energy Grid Yet Again – The Implications

With winter already approaching, the latest attack renewed discussions about a potentially unforgiving winter for Ukrainians and what the future might hold under the upcoming US administration.

Before Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine had 56 GW of nameplate capacity and 36 GW of actual capacity. It’s believed that Ukraine likely has less than 10 GW of remaining capacity at present due to power plants being occupied, damaged and destroyed by Russia.