Did Fico's decision affect electricity imports to Ukraine? Sources respond
Photo: Robert Fico, Prime Minister of Slovakia (Getty Images)
The decision by Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico to halt emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine has not yet affected imports, according to sources familiar with the process of purchasing electricity in neighboring European countries.
"Imports are ongoing, including from Slovakia," the source noted.
Ukraine requests emergency electricity only in critical situations, usually after sudden outages that reduce generation or attacks on the power grid that increase the electricity deficit.
Refusal of emergency supplies by any partner does not violate European rules, as such services are provided under bilateral agreements when technical and resource conditions allow, the sources noted.
Emergency supplies are not considered imports.
Energy expert Volodymyr Omelchenko told RBC-Ukraine that Slovakia is not a primary provider of emergency electricity aid. Mostly, it came from Poland.
"I don’t remember when Slovakia provided it to us. Such aid came from Poland," he said.
What Kudrytskyi says
Former head of Ukrenergo Volodymyr Kudrytskyi confirmed that emergency electricity supplies are provided by partner countries whenever possible. However, if it turns out that the possibility existed but was not used deliberately, the system operator could face penalties under European regulations, including the loss of certification.
"No Fico can dictate to an independent operator what to do and how to do it. But at the same time, proving that there was no technical ability to provide emergency assistance is quite difficult," he added.
Kudrytskyi clarified that previously, emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine came from all neighboring countries — Poland, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia. Overall, however, the volumes were small, accounting for up to 1% of total imports, and the need for such supplies did not arise often.
The last time Ukraine received emergency electricity from Slovakia was on January 23, totaling 37.5 MW.
The loss of emergency supply capability from Slovakia will not have serious negative consequences, Kudrytskyi said. If necessary, emergency supplies can be increased from other partner countries.
Electricity imports
Earlier, ExPro Consulting analyst Daria Orlova told RBC-Ukraine that Hungary and Slovakia play a critical role in Ukraine’s electricity imports, accounting for 70% of imports in February (over 1.4 GW of capacity).
If supplies were fully stopped, it would be difficult for Ukraine to replace 100% of the volumes through other routes.
At the same time, she noted, EU energy system operators cannot independently make such decisions, as their activities are coordinated within the framework of a European association, ENTSO-E.
On February 23, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico announced that his country is pausing emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine until transit of oil through the Druzhba pipeline is restored.
