In winter, schedules are prepared for rockets and frosts. In summer, the threat is different - and almost peaceful: air conditioners. Weather forecasters promise anomalous heat for the coming week, and the Ministry of Energy believes it could increase electricity consumption in Ukraine by approximately 1 GW. For comparison, this is roughly the load of an average regional center.
First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Denys Shmyhal reported that he held a meeting with Ukrenergo, Energoatom, Ukrhydroenergo, Naftogaz, and NKREKP to coordinate actions for this exact period - when extreme heat overlaps with planned repairs of generating capacity.
What is being changed now
According to Shmyhal, repair schedules at generation facilities, including nuclear power plant units, have been adjusted to avoid taking capacity offline precisely when demand is rising. At the same time, a decision is being prepared to increase electricity imports, and not just state imports - businesses are being offered incentives to independently procure imports for their own consumption.
The third direction involves maximum engagement of domestic generation: additional gas capacity and available thermal generation power should handle the load when nuclear and hydropower do not cover peak demand.
Who will feel restrictions if the plan doesn't work
The key caveat is that Ukrenergo is already preparing for possible application of power limitation schedules, and this will affect not residential consumers, but industry and business. That is, in case of a sharp surge in consumption, enterprises will be restricted first, not apartments with ordinary air conditioners.
Shmyhal called for "reasonable and economical consumption" specifically during evening peak hours - from 4:00 PM to 11:00 PM, when both daytime heat and evening residential demand overlap. Formally this is a request, but in essence - a signal to business to plan energy-intensive processes outside this window, if possible.
The question remains open: whether the adjusted nuclear power plant repair schedules and additional imports will be sufficient to avoid restrictions for industry - or whether next week's heat will become the first real test of the system without applying schedules this summer.
