In the coming years, Ukrainians will have to live according to the schedules of their regional energy companies: The Economist

Ukrainians will have to get used to living according to the schedules established by Oblenergo, at least for a few years. These schedules will determine our daily routine and affect our performance and plans. In winter, the restrictions can be even stricter. This is stated in materials edition of The Economist.

Due to the loss of three quarters of electricity generation, Ukraine is forced to survive only at the expense of the remaining capacities. To restore them to the level of the first war winter (2022/2023 years) there is not enough time, human resources and funds.

After the winter attacks of 2022/2023, Ukrainian energy companies managed to restore half of the capacities. Before the war, the total capacity of the power system was 36 GW. After the attacks, it was restored to 18 GW, but in the spring of this year, new missile strikes destroyed another 9 GW. For example, DTEK, which provides light to the central and eastern regions, lost 90% of its generation. As a result, only a quarter of the pre-war generating capacity remained in Ukraine.

The main part of electricity is now produced by nuclear power plants, which the enemy does not risk hitting due to the possibility of a repeat of the Chernobyl disaster. Nuclear energy and solar power plants, which work at full capacity in the summer, save Ukraine from total darkness.

Ukraine currently imports 1.7 GW of capacity, planning to increase this figure to 2 GW by winter. Also, energy companies promise to restore another 2-3 GW at less damaged facilities. But the total 13-14 GW will not be enough to get through the winter without blackouts.