On the first day of spring, the power system was operating stably. No restrictions were applied to consumers. This was stated by Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal during a Government meeting on March 1.
“The second winter in the context of a full-scale invasion is over. We went through it without a single blackout and without applying blackout schedules for the whole country,” said Denys Shmyhal.
The Prime Minister noted that preparation had played a key role. The protection of energy facilities was in place. A stock of backup equipment has been created. 90% of the trunk power grids have been restored. More than 2 GW of capacity was added to the system due to repairs. The capacity to import electricity from the EU was increased to 1.7 GW.
“In December 2023, Ukraine finally became a member of the Energy EU. Ukrenergo has become the 40th full ENTSO-E member. Our power system is fully synchronized with the European one. Over the past 1.5 years, step by step, we have built a powerful energy coalition in support of Ukraine,” the Prime Minister said.
According to Denys Shmyhal, international partners have transferred hundreds of units of critical equipment. More than EUR 400 million has been accumulated in the Energy Support Fund.
“All of this is to ensure that today Ukrainian families have electricity, Ukrainian entrepreneurs have electricity, and our economy is working. Special thanks to the Ukrainian power engineers who made this possible,” the Prime Minister said.
In addition, the Head of Government noted another key element of Ukraine’s energy strategy – an increase in domestic gas production. In 2023, the state-owned Naftogaz launched 86 new wells. Despite the war, gas production increased in 2023.
“The goal for 2024 for the Naftogaz Group is to reach 15 billion cubic meters of gas production. This is critical for our energy independence and sustainability,” emphasized Denys Shmyhal.
The Prime Minister added that today more than 8.5 billion cubic meters of gas were stored in Ukraine’s underground storage facilities. There are more than 1 million tons of coal in storage facilities: “We must confidently complete this heating season and immediately begin preparations for the next winter.” (Government portal/Business World Magazine)