Residents of Ukraine are urged to prepare for a possible intensification of power outages due to the forecasted drop in temperature. This was announced by the General Director of the State Enterprise “Market Operator” Oleksandr Havva during the telethon “Unified News.”
This is reported by Finway
Cold Weather May Cause Temporary Intensification of Restrictions
According to Oleksandr Havva, even without additional Russian attacks on the energy infrastructure, in the event of significant cold weather, Ukrainians may face temporary restrictions on electricity consumption. The drop in temperature encourages the population to use electric heating more actively, which leads to a sharp increase in the load on the country’s energy system.
“Cold weather increases electricity consumption; however, the main threat and the number of hours without power come from Russian strikes on the energy infrastructure. Cold weather may only lead to a temporary intensification of restrictions, while the aggressor’s attacks create much more serious problems,” Havva explained.
High Electricity Consumption Creates Additional Pressure on the Grid
The difficult situation with energy supply was also noted by Yuri Korolchuk, co-founder of the Institute for Energy Strategies. He emphasized that a significant portion of Ukrainian households uses electricity not only for household needs but also for heating, which significantly increases the load on the grid during the winter period. According to him, even in the absence of new massive strikes on energy facilities and the possibility of conducting planned repairs, a quick restoration of a stable operation mode for the energy system cannot be expected at this time.
The expert noted that stabilization of the situation is only possible after a reduction in electricity consumption for heating, as this is the key factor of critical pressure on the energy system in winter. He also pointed out that significant improvements in the electricity supply schedules should not be expected at least until the beginning of March.