Ukraine's DTEK loses 90% of capacity, plans to restore most by winter season

Ukraine's largest private energy company DTEK has lost about 90% of its power generation capacity due to Russian missile attacks in recent weeks, but intends to restore most of the lost capacity by the start of the winter season, its CEO said on Tuesday.

Ukraine's largest private energy company DTEK has lost about 90% of its power generation capacity due to Russian missile attacks in recent weeks, but intends to restore most of the lost capacity by the start of the winter season, its CEO said on Tuesday. Russian forces launched a massive missile attack on Ukrainian power plants in late March and continued to attack them in the following weeks, disabling a significant portion of the country's thermal plants and a few of large hydro stations. DTEK is Ukraine's main thermal electricity producer.

CEO Maxim Timchenko said DTEK could generate around 5,000 megawatt hours (Mwh) before the attacks while now it can produce just 600 Mwh. DTEK data showed that Ukraine consumed around 13,000 megawatt hours before the attacks as of March 17 and thermal electricity plants covered 23% of the volume, producing 2,900 Mwh.

After a series of Russian attacks on the energy system, consumption fell to 9,100 Mwh and only 8% of the volume, or 700 Mwh, was covered by thermal electricity stations. Timchenko said DTEK planned to restore one to two power units a month and aimed to use equipment from previously decommissioned thermal power plants in eastern Europe and the Baltic states to rebuild the destroyed facilities.

Increasing the capacity to import power from Europe to 2,200 megawatts from the current 1,700 will also help meet demand during the winter season and maximum consumption peaks, which reach 18,000 to 19,000 megawatts, he said. Ukraine saw record high electricity imports this week after Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy system, the energy ministry and national power grid operator Ukrenergo said.

The imports are expected at 21,072 Mwh on Tuesday, topping the previous record of 19,484 Mwh set on Monday.