Russian War Against Ukraine: Energy Dimension | DiXi Group Alert – weekly review

April 10-16

Summary

• Occupiers prepare evacuation of “rosatom” staff on Zaporizhzhia NPP – National Resistance Center. There are also messages that Russians brought large amounts of food to the plant and prepare to block workers. Explosions of Russian mines were spotted at the ZNPP site. According to the preliminary assessment by Energoatom, the cost of property destroyed because of aggression is over UAH 32 bn.
• The energy system worked without limitations, the high water content of the rivers ensured the operation of hydropower plants, the share of which in the structure of production reached 20% in certain hours of the day. In order to avoid large-scale flooding of populated areas, controlled water discharges are carried out.
• The Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal noted that the government urgently needed to receive $14.1 billion by the end of this year for rapid recovery. Ukraine holds negotiations for legal reasoning and practical use of the frozen russian assets.
• The World Bank will provide Ukraine with an additional $200 million to rebuild its energy infrastructure. A grant agreement was signed with the Government of Japan, under which Ukraine will receive $400 million for post-war reconstruction under the Emergency Recovery Program aimed at critical infrastructure. The Government of Iceland has allocated 500 thousand USD to support the restoration of Ukraine’s environmentally sustainable and resilient energy infrastructure. 
• Ukrenergo returned 5 trunk lines to work and partially restored the equipment of 9 substations of different voltage classes during over a month. 
• On April 11, Ukraine resumed the exports of electricity, which had not been carried out for the previous 6 months. During the week, exports amounted to 11.9 thousand MW∙h, 57% of which (6.8 thousand MW∙h) went to Moldova and 43% (5.1 thousand MW∙h) to Poland. According to Energy Minister Herman Galushchenko, Ukraine plans to export electricity to the level of 2022, and then to increase it.
• The Ukrainian storage system operator, Ukrtransgaz, has started the injection season. At the same time, during the withdrawal season, withdrawals from storages amounted to 5.5 bcm. The CEO of Naftogaz and part-time Head of the HQ for 2022/2023 Heating Season Preparation Oleksii Chernyshov announced the end of the heating season.
• The first biomethane plant with app. 3 mcm annual capacity has been launched and connected to gas grids in the Chernihiv region. According to Regional Gas Company, in 2023, it is planned to launch three more biomethane plants with a total production capacity of about 20 mcm.
• Starting from January 1, 2024 the State Fund for Decarbonization and Energy-Efficient Transformation in Ukraine has to become operational. In accordance with the law adopted by the Verkhovna Rada, this Fund must be replenished from state budget revenues, state borrowings, and other revenues.
• The National Energy and Utilities Regulatory Commission (NEURC) approved changes to the Transmission System Code in terms of improving requirements for tertiary frequency regulation and replacement reserves, as well as the Report on the Assessment of Compliance (Sufficiency) of Generating Capacities.
• The Permanent Court of Arbitration in Hague made a decision regarding Russia’s expropriation of the assets of Naftogaz Group, which provided for 5 billion USD in compensation to Naftogaz. 
• The Security Service of Ukraine seized more than 3.5 billion UAH in property of the former MP Vadym Novynskyi. The list of assets includes corporate rights to 40 Ukrainian enterprises and 30 gas wells. 
• The President Volodymyr Zelenskyi enacted the decision of the National Security and Defense Council to impose personal special economic and other restrictive measures on 438 individuals and 254 legal entities.
• Ukrnafta reported that, “according to preliminary estimates”, the company received 4.3 billion UAH in net profit based on the results of 1Q2023.