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

January 29 – February 4

Summary

On January 30, February 2 and 3, energy infrastructure of the Dnipropetrovsk region was attacked. Equipment at a Ukrenergo substation was damaged, disrupting power supply to 62,000 household consumers, industry and a mine in Kryvyi Rih. Later, emergency outages were introduced for 35,000 consumers in the city and surrounding areas.
As of February 5, 359 settlements remained without electricity due to hostilities and technological disruptions.
While visiting the occupied Zaporizhzhia NPP this week, the IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi will discuss with the occupiers the issue of staffing. Currently 4,500 employees work at the facility, before the war – about 11,500.
On February 2 and 4, Ukraine’s power system experienced a surplus of electricity, with excess volumes transferred to Poland. Commercial electricity exports resumed to Moldova, performed on February 3-4 in the amount of 1.5 GWh.
Following trading on the bilateral contracts market, the monthly Base DAM index for February decreased to 3,107.6 UAH/MWh (-5.2% WoW). The day-ahead market was in surplus, the Base DAM index reached 3,274.1 UAH/MWh (-9.2%).
To fulfill its debt obligations for the service of increasing RES share, Ukrenergo transferred to Guaranteed Buyer 5.5 billion UAH raised from the EBRD under the government guarantee.
The NEURC agreed on the rules, structure of capacity allocation and procedure for distributing revenues from congestion management on the Ukraine-Moldova interconnection.
The Regulator also postponed the deadline for registration of wholesale energy market participants from February 1 to April 1, 2024.
The government improved the mechanism of support for large investment projects, namely streamlined requirements to preparing a feasibility study.
Also, a decision was adopted to transform the State Enterprise “Guaranteed Buyer” into a jointstock company, with 100% shares belonging to the state and not subject to privatization.
The Cabinet of Ministers approved changes to the charter of Naftogaz. In particular, the list of the company’s activities was supplemented, yet the clause on shareholder’s non-interference in the operational and economic activities was excluded.
The Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and the Minister of Energy Herman Halushchenko noted the success of Ukrgazvydobuvannya, which put 86 new wells into operation in 2023, making it possible to increase production. At the same time, the media point to risks of the strategy chosen for drilling on old fields.
The Supreme Court finally recognized the state’s ownership of the Ukrainian part of the oil products pipeline “Samara – Western direction”, so the Head of the State Property Fund Vitalii Koval.
Ukraine has become an associate member of the Three Seas Initiative, which will contribute to the region’s energy security.