Electricity trade with Ukraine set for gradual reopening

June 9, 2022 Editor

Ukrenergo Ukraine_00001 — Image: Ukrenergo

Continental Europe’s transmission system operators (TSOs) have confirmed the technical pre-conditions for the gradual reopening of the trade.

Since the emergency synchronisation of the Ukrainian power system on March 16, Europe’s TSOs together with the TSOs Ukrenergo of Ukraine and Moldelectrica of Moldova have ensured the security of the two interconnected power systems.

Following a request from Ukrenergo, Continental Europe’s TSOs through the ENTSO-E cooperation association have analysed the technical pre-conditions to allow the reopening of commercial electricity exchanges on the interconnections with Ukraine.

With the key conditions identified, Ukrenergo and the other European TSOs will now work together to implement them, ENTSO-E has reported.

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ENTSO-E adds that together with the welcoming of Ukrenergo as an Observer Member and the practical support provided by European TSOs for network reconstruction, the approach to a gradual resuming of commercial exchanges of electricity is another important gesture of solidarity and strengthens the cooperation between the parties.

The emergency synchronisation of March 16 marked an acceleration of the synchronisation project with Ukraine and Moldova under way since 2017 and was possible notably by the adoption of risk mitigation measures including the limitation of the power flows between Ukraine and the neighbouring countries by preventing electricity trade via the interconnections with Ukraine.

Alongside the planned reopening, Ukraine and Poland have agreed to take joint action to resume the operation of the Khmelnytska NPP–Rzeszów interconnector to increase the cross-border electricity trade between the two countries.

Ukrenergo is also busy with recovery operations on substations, overhead lines and other infrastructure through Ukraine and most recently completed recommissioning of a 330kV overhead line in the eastern region.