This year’s winter has brought on such meteorological cataclysms, such as icy roads, sticky wet snow, gusty winds, and abrupt changes in temperature. The very first test by cold led to serious power outages, which vividly demonstrated how well the energy sector is prepared for winter.
On November 28 the Ukrainian energy system balanced on the brink of collapse as a result of an emergency shutdown of five nuclear power units.
Grid frequency was fluttering at 49.1-49.2 Hz, which means that in some moments the automatic emergency cutoff was only 0.05 Hz away. As an Ukroenerho State Electricity Company source told Interfax-Ukraine, the energy system was working at a critical frequency level, with the consumers having their power supply cut by an average 20% for two crisis days. “We are working at the most critical frequency level. The slightest fluctuation could automatically switch off the other six nuclear power units. The energy system really faces the threat of collapse,” the source said. The system was saved from total collapse by further reducing the quotas for the oblasts (according to State Energy Department faxes of November 27 and 28), i.e., by stopping the production lines, cutting power in apartments, etc.
“The situation is now improving,” Minister for Fuel and Energy Serhiy YERMILOV, said on November 29, adding that, to improve the situation in the energy system, Ukraine delivered additional gas to its thermal power stations with Russian consent. However, the minister did not specify the cost of this “additional” natural gas. This is not an idle question if we recall the latest deals our premier struck in Moscow, under which the “additional” gas will cost Ukraine more than what was planned.
There is another alarming point for the future. On the night of November 28 the Zmiyiv Thermal Power Plant raised the number of working units from five to seven out of ten available in order to make up for the five nuclear units cut off on Sunday to Tuesday due to the elements, Albert YERMOLENKO, general manager of the Zmiyiv plant, announced. He specified that the current temperature requires that four, not seven, station units should be in operation. Interfax-Ukraine also quotes Mr. Yermolenko as warning that under the present work pattern the available 315,000 tons of fuel will have been consumed by the end of December, thus leaving no other sources of generation: the station uses daily 14,000 tons of coal, but receives 3,000-3,500 tons with the norm set at 6,500 tons.
According to preliminary information given by Premier Viktor Yushchenko, the elements caused about UAH 132 million in losses.
