Ukraine faces peak electricity demand amid heat wave and Russian attacks
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Electricity consumption in Ukraine has surged to its peak due to a heat wave, exacerbated by Russian attacks on the energy sector, leaving Ukrainian power stations unable to meet demand, Ukraine's National Power Company Ukrenergo reported on Telegram on July 15.
"Today, July 15, regional energy companies are implementing consumption restrictions throughout the day," the statement said.
Ukrenergo utilized emergency supplies from Poland and Slovakia between 1 a.m. and 7 a.m. EET on July 14 to alleviate the deficit.
The Ukrainian energy system received surplus energy from Poland from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on July 14. The Polish energy system also supplied emergency electricity to Ukraine overnight on July 15.
To compensate for the energy deficit on July 15, restrictions will be in effect as follows:
- Until 4 p.m. — three rounds of hourly disconnect schedules
- From 4 p.m. to midnight — four rounds
Ukrenergo reminds consumers in each Oblast, not listed as critical infrastructure, that they are divided into 6 rounds (groups).
Applying restrictions up to three rounds means hourly disconnect schedules affect half the consumers in each Oblast.
If more than three rounds of schedules are applied, restrictions apply to more consumers.
Detailed schedules for each Oblast can be found on the websites of regional energy companies or their social media pages.
"A significant energy deficit in the Ukrainian energy system is due to eight Russian mass attacks on energy facilities since the beginning of the year," the company said.
Ukraine lost 9 GW of production capacity from its power plants as a result, equivalent to the summer peak consumption of countries like the Netherlands, Finland, or Slovakia and the Baltic countries combined.
The situation is worsened by severe weather in western Ukrainian oblasts. As of the morning of July 15, Ukrenergo reported 495 settlements without electricity, including 446 in Kyiv, Chernihiv, Zhytomyr, Ternopil, Lviv, and Rivne Oblasts due to weather conditions.
July 15 could set a record for the current heat wave in Kyiv, with temperatures expected to reach up to 40 degrees Celsius (104° Fahrenheit).
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