Expert explains why Ukraine is exporting electricity despite power outages
Power outages in Ukraine are currently being driven not by a shortage of generating capacity but by damage to electricity transmission infrastructure.
Oleksandr Kharchenko, Director of the Energy Research Center, explained why Ukraine is exporting electricity despite ongoing power outages in an interview with Ukrinform. The destruction and damage to DTEK's thermal power plants has not led to a shortage of power generation. There is currently no capacity issue, as Ukraine still needs to export electricity due to the inability to deliver sufficient volumes to consumers in cities like Kyiv, Kharchenko stated.
He emphasized that damage to high-voltage transmission networks is the primary cause of the current power supply disruptions. Russian strikes are primarily targeting secondary equipment rather than the key substation components that have already been protected. These attacks can be repaired swiftly, but continuous strikes hinder energy workers from conducting consistent repairs at the affected sites.
Kharchenko also addressed water supply issues in Kyiv. While the city's water utility has backup power sources, they cannot ensure water supply to all residential buildings. The backup power aims to prevent the water distribution system from running dry, allowing quick restoration once electricity is restored. However, it cannot currently supply the full capacity required for uninterrupted water supply to all households during outages, Kharchenko concluded.
Russian forces have carried out 78 attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure over the past three days, targeting both power plants and electricity transmission facilities.
Written by urgent.news from Ukrinform - Economy's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
