Power of Ukraine

The main articles are:

• Economy of Ukraine
• World power

NPP

Main article: Energoatom NAEK

At the beginning of 2022, more than 50% of electricity in Ukraine is generated at nuclear power plants.

2024: Ukraine imported a record volume of electricity in 10 years - 4.5 million MWh

In 2024, Ukraine imported a record volume of electricity in 10 years - 4.5 million MW. At the same time, exports turned out to be minimal over the same period (almost up to 350 thousand MWh). The deputy of the Verkhovna Rada Nina Yuzhanina cited such data in January 2025.

According to her, the largest amount of electricity in 2024 was supplied to Ukraine:

• Hungary - 38.4% (1.7 million MWh);
• Slovakia - 23.4% (1.04 million MWh);
• Poland - 14.3% (636.6 thousand MWh).

Yuzhanina said that electricity imports to Ukraine stopped for only two days during 2024.

2023: Strikes of the Russian Armed Forces on power plants and the launch of all 9 power units of the remaining three nuclear power plants

To destroy all transformers in Ukraine, the Russian Armed Forces needed a huge consumption of high-precision ammunition. Therefore, in the winter of 2023, the power plants themselves became the goal of the RF Armed Forces:

• Kharkov TETs-5, Burshtynskaya and Krivorozhskaya TPP - damaged turbines with generators,
• Dniprovskaya TPP - boilers damaged,
• Kyiv TETs-6 - the transformer of the power unit is damaged,
• Dnieper hydroelectric power station - mashzal damaged,
• Ladyzhinskaya TPP - the belt conveyor and gas pipelines are damaged.

The objects did not receive critical damage. The reason was the excess capacity: for example, only two out of 10 turbogenerators worked at the Krivoy Rog TPP - No. 1 and No. 2. Turbine No. 5 was planned to be commissioned in the spring of 2023, but it was hit by a blow on February 10.

The Ukrainian authorities were forced to use reserves: the Ministry of Energy reported that in February 2023 all 9 power units were launched at the three remaining nuclear power plants. Each gives 1,000 MW, and emerging reserves have eased restrictions on consumption. There were no other options: due to the inaccessibility of Donetsk anthracite, there was a shortage of coal, so mass de-preservation of TPP turbines is meaningless.

Putting the blocks into operation requires considerable time, so the process was completed only by 2023. There were no other options: due to the inaccessibility of Donetsk anthracite, there was a shortage of coal, so mass de-preservation of TPP turbines is meaningless.

It would seem that the sharp cessation of emergency shutdowns speaks of overcoming the crisis of the Ukrainian energy system. But everything seems to be happening exactly the opposite, the Rybar channel wrote.

NPPs always operate in the mode of generation of constant power, and the introduction of new units significantly increases the basic level of production. It is necessary to increase consumption to ensure full load of generators.

That is why the appearance of outdoor lighting in cities is not a sign of the stability of the power system, but a necessary measure to maintain its stability. To maintain frequency at peak loads, power maneuvering is necessary, which as of February 2023 is a bottleneck in Ukrainian power.

2022

Strikes of the Russian Armed Forces on autotransformers of Ukraine during an armed conflict

In October 2022, the RF Armed Forces began to strike at energy distribution facilities and knocked out autotransformers (AT), due to the accumulation of damage, emergency shutdown schedules appeared throughout the country. But these were temporary difficulties: at most substations the load is significantly less than the nominal one, which allows it to be transferred from the disabled AT to the remaining ones.

Capacity reserve due to industry collapse and population flight

The power system of Ukraine was created in the USSR to provide a 50 million republic with many energy-intensive enterprises. In the 30 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, many factories disappeared, and the number of residents in 1991-2021 decreased by at least 20%.

As a result, a huge reserve of unused capacity was formed: for example, only one of the six power units worked at the largest Zaporizhzhya NPP at the beginning of 2022. By the fall of 2022, the capacity reserve became only larger due to the closure of enterprises and a reduction in traffic, as well as a decrease in the communal load due to the flight of the population after the outbreak of armed conflict.

90% of wind power and 30% of solar capacity disabled during armed conflict

According to a UN report published in September 2022, among 17 countries in the region, Ukraine has achieved its greatest success in solar and wind power in recent years, adding 8.3 gigawatts (GW) of capacity between 2017 and 2021. Areas affected by the conflict during Russia's special operation account for a quarter of all the unit's wind capacity and a fifth of solar energy.

As of June 2022, 90% wind and 30% solar capacities in the country were disabled, the REN21 study said.

Electricity imports from Belarus

The Ministry of Energy of the country assures that they do not experience a shortage of energy-generating capacities, and also have a sufficient reserve of them. Meanwhile, Ukraine imports electricity from Belarus, in January 2022 supplies reach the maximum possible 900 MW.

2021: Coal is the country's main energy source

2020: Low per capita energy consumption

Energy consumption per capita, including electricity, transport heating in 2019-2020