Ukraine avoids power shortage during heatwave thanks to thermal reserves, optimised nuclear maintenance – ex-energy minister
Ukraine managed to avoid an electricity shortage that could have led to power restrictions during the heat wave thanks to several thermal power units held in reserve, the optimization of maintenance schedules at nuclear power units, and a reduction in consumption since the beginning of 2026, former Energy Minister Olha Buslavets has said.
During the heatwave in Ukraine, the country managed to avoid an electricity shortage thanks to several factors, according to former Energy Minister Olha Buslavets. The nation had a surplus of electricity generation, in part due to having two or three thermal power units in reserve that were not being used for exports due to the SWAM environmental tax.
Additionally, the optimization of maintenance schedules at nuclear power units played a crucial role. JSC Energoatom had postponed the regular maintenance shutdown of a nuclear power unit that had been operating at reduced capacity, allowing for better fuel management and waiting for the other unit to come back online. This optimization was deemed the right decision.
Another contributing factor was the overall decline in consumption since the beginning of 2026, driven by businesses building their own generation capacity and the shutdown of certain industrial enterprises due to Russian attacks on port infrastructure and vessels. Industrial consumption decreased by 13% in the first six months of this year compared to the same period last year.
As of now, seven out of nine nuclear power plant units located in unoccupied territories are operating in Ukraine's power grid, with one unit recently completing repairs and another entering scheduled maintenance.
Written by urgent.news from Interfax-Ukraine's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
