REUTERS
The stocks of scarce anthracite coal in the warehouses of Luhanska thermal power plant, part of Ukraine’s largest private holding DTEK, will be enough for 44 days; while operations of the remaining four TPPs running on anthracite were suspended to save fuel, the press service of the Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry wrote.
As of April 18, the coal reserves in the warehouses of Luhanska TPP are at 172,000 tonnes, with daily consumption of 3,900 tonnes, according to the report.
Anthracite reserves at the warehouses of Pridneprovska TPP are at 30,800 tonnes, at Slavyanska TPP - at 39,300 tonnes, at Trypilska TPP - at 41,600 tonnes, at Zmiivska TPP - at 49,300 tonnes.
Read alsoDTEK to buy 600,000 tonnes of deficit coal from RSASaid TPPs were halted to accumulate coal before the summer’s maximum load in the power grid, as well as for repairs. If necessary, the power units can be quickly put into operation.
As UNIAN reported, on April 6, 2017 state company Centrenergo stopped the work of Zmiivska thermal power plant (Kharkiv region). Earlier, on April 5, 2017, the state company halted Trypilska TPP (Kyiv region). In addition, DTEK suspended operations of Prydniprovska TPP (Dnipropetrovsk region).
Read alsoUkraine should buy anthracite anywhere but from Russia – GroysmanUkraine has been experiencing a significant deficit of anthracite coal as a result of the ongoing hostilities in the country’s east given the fact that its extraction is concentrated in militant-controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The shortage of coal affects the operation of power plants, which are forced to reduce production capacity. For the stable operation of the energy grid, scarce anthracite used to be imported from South Africa.
Read alsoKryvyi Rih TPP suspends operations to accumulate coal reservesThe issue of coal supplies for thermal generation became particularly acute after the coal deliveries’ blockade of the militant-occupied areas of Donbas began in late January 2017 and the subsequent decision by the National Security and Defense Council of March 15, 2017, on the halt of cargo turnover with uncontrolled territories, and also after DTEK in mid-March lost control over its companies operating in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions - DTEK Rovenkyantratsit, DTEK Sverdlovanthratsit, and DTEK Komsomolets Donbassa.