On December 30, 2014, Ukraine and Russia signed two contracts to ensure electricity supplies / Photo from UNIAN
Ukraine has raised power rates for the Russian-occupied Crimea by 15%, as was earlier planned, according to Ukrainian Energy and Coal Industry Minister Volodymyr Demchyshyn.
"We increased [the rates] to RUB 3.95 per kWh last month," Demchyshyn told reporters on Tuesday.
In his words, Crimea consumes about 1 GW of electricity during peak hours, and a halt to power supplies from mainland Ukraine to the peninsula would be inexpedient.
"Probably you've seen that campaign for termination of the power supply to Crimea. Of course, this is a political matter. It seems to me maybe it's not that right to halt electricity supplies now," the minister said.
Ad UNIAN reported earlier, Ukraine in September 2015 planned to raise the price of electricity supplied to Crimea on the average by 15%, to RUB 3.95 per kWh from RUB 3.42 per kWh.
This was not the first time when electricity for Crimea went up in price. Ukraine previously raised power rates by 14%, to RUB 3.42 per kWh from RUB 2.99 per kWh on July 1, 2015.
On December 30, 2014, Ukraine and Russia signed two contracts to ensure electricity supplies.
The Russian Energy Ministry reported that the contracts had been signed between Russia's Inter RAO and Ukrinterenergo, which is engaged in generation of electricity, exports and transit shipments, on electricity exports from the power grids of Russia into the Ukrainian power grids. The annual contract became effective on December 30, 2014, and foresees a schedule of regular electricity supplies of up to 1.5 GW. Simultaneously, the sides concluded the second contract to ensure regular power supplies from Ukraine to Crimea. It was signed by Inter RAO's Settlement Center subsidiary and Ukrinterenergo.