A power grid linking much of continental Europe to Ukraine has enabled the country to decouple its power system from hostile Russia, officials said Wednesday. On a trial basis, ENTSO-E, a group representing dozens of transmission system operators across Europe, reported that the electricity grids of Ukraine and its smaller neighbor Moldova were successfully synchronized with the Continental European Power System. According to the group, this is a significant milestone.
After Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, the grid operators had been considering such a move, but the Russian military’s assault on Ukraine last month prompted an emergency request from Kyiv to speed up a process that was expected to take years to complete. The move means ENTSO-E, whose 39 members run the world’s largest interconnected electrical grid, will be able to help maintain the stability of the Ukrainian and Moldovan power systems.
In the past, both countries were part of the Integrated Power System, which also included Russia and Belarus. According to Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, the chair of Ukraine’s grid operator Ukrenergo, Ukraine became dependent on Russia’s grid operator despite no electricity trade between the two countries for years. ‘This step will give Ukraine the opportunity to receive electricity if (Russia) continues to destroy our power infrastructure, and therefore to save our power system,’ he said.
‘During these challenging times, we are deeply grateful for the support and assistance of our European partners,’ said Georg Zachmann, an expert with the Brussels think tank Bruegel. The switch will allow energy suppliers in the continental grid, which runs between Portugal and Poland, to provide electricity to Ukraine.
Ukraine could turn off some of its coal-fired power plants to ensure grid stability, saving valuable fuel in wartime, he said. In the long-term, Ukraine could export excess electricity generated by its nuclear power plants to the rest of Europe.
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