Will there be power outages in winter: Shmyhal voiced his forecast

Ukraine is increasing its power grid capacity ahead of the heating season and hopes to avoid large-scale power outages in the winter. However, much will depend on whether Russia strikes again at its energy infrastructure.

This was announced by First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Denys Shmyhal during Question Hour to the Government in the Verkhovna Rada.

According to him, the Ukrainian power system currently has about 15 GW of available capacity. By the beginning of November, this figure is planned to be increased to 19.6 GW, and by the end of the year – to 21.4 GW. Thus, by winter, the country may receive more than 6 GW of additional capacity.

This is not only about own electricity generation. The calculations also include the capabilities of cogeneration plants and electricity imports from abroad.

The Ministry of Energy notes that preparations are currently underway for the most difficult period of the year, when electricity consumption traditionally increases. One of the key tasks remains the restoration of damaged generation facilities and the completion of the repair campaign at nuclear power plants.

As Shmyhal reported, six of the nine power units of the NPP are currently operating, and three more are undergoing scheduled repairs. Most of the planned work has already been completed.

At the same time, the government does not give 100% guarantees that there will be no outages. The course of the winter will be affected by Russian attacks, weather conditions, and the level of electricity consumption in the country.

If the planned restoration of energy capacity is carried out and no new large-scale strikes on the power system occur, Ukraine will have a much better chance of getting through the winter season without major power supply restrictions.

Recall that Russia continues to strengthen cooperation with North Korea and creates conditions for the possible use of new ballistic missiles against Ukraine . This includes, in particular, modernized KN-30 missiles, which are capable of carrying super-powerful warheads.

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