Scheduled power outages may resume in February.
Power outages by schedule may resume in February
Cold weather is expected in February, and stabilization schedules for power outages might be reintroduced.
This was reported by Stanislav Ignatiev, chairman of the Ukrainian Renewable Energy Association. He noted that the weather in the capital is currently so warm that spring plants have begun to bloom in the middle of winter.
- Today, sakura bloomed in Kyiv – the reason being the resumption of plant vegetation due to a warm winter with daytime temperatures reaching +8 degrees Celsius. However, this is not a coincidence but a regularity of the processes observed on our planet. Over the past 30 years, winter has warmed by nearly 1.5 degrees, and its duration has decreased by an average of one month. This is related to the increase in greenhouse gas concentrations in the Earth's atmosphere. This weakens the activity of Antarctic air masses, which become warmer and slower, — says Ignatiev.
The interlocutor emphasized that this is the month when warm and moderately humid cyclones come from the Atlantic, bringing warmth and fog to us in winter.
- Currently, such an air mass in Central Europe has mixed with hot, dry air from the Sahara. That is why it is so warm in Ukraine now, and the sakuras are blooming. Importantly, we are saving electricity and do not have stabilization restrictions for consumers – "power outages," — adds Ignatiev.
He clarified that an anticyclone with Arctic cold is forming over the Aleutian minimum (the coldest point on Earth), which is approaching Ukraine.
- From February 5, frosts of up to -16 degrees are forecasted. According to the Ventusky meteorological radar, cold weather may persist until February 10 across the entire territory of Ukraine. This means that average daily temperatures will drop to -10 degrees Celsius, — adds Ignatiev.
Low air temperatures, in turn, lead to a deficit in the energy system.
- I remind you that over the past three years it has been proven in Ukraine: when average temperatures drop to -5 degrees, a potential deficit occurs in the energy system during peak hours (morning and evening) at a level of 2 GWh. Currently, we can technically cover this deficit at a level of 2.1 GWh, but only if we have this electricity from our European neighbors, — the interlocutor explains.
Ignatiev emphasized that at average daily temperatures of -10 degrees, the deficit during peak hours could potentially amount to up to 4 GWh.
- Thus, it is likely that this will force the dispatcher to introduce morning and evening stabilization outages, — concluded the chairman of the Ukrainian Renewable Energy Association.