The EU connects Ukraine to the European power grid

On the day Russia invaded Ukraine, Kyiv disconnected the country’s power grid from the Russian grid for testing purposes. On Wednesday, the EU connected Ukraine and Moldova to the European network. It is a symbolic step, but one that also entails risks for the EU.

People in an air-raid shelter in Mariupol illuminate the room with an oil lamp.

Evgeniy Maloletka / AP

“Today, the power grids of Ukraine and Moldova have been successfully synchronized with the continental European grid.” This was written by the EU Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson, in a Wednesday Message. It is an extremely symbolic step that was taken following an application by the two countries for an emergency connection.

Accelerating an already planned project

Negotiations on interconnecting the electricity grids started back in 2005 after the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the EU and Ukraine. The country has been a member of the European energy community since 2011 and is therefore obliged to successively adopt the energy-related parts of EU law, like the SWP think tank in one Post from November 2021 writes.

In the summer of 2017, Ukrenergo and Moldelectrica, the grid operators of Ukraine and Moldova, signed an agreement with the Association of European Electricity Grid Operators (Entso-E) for the future connection. It was originally planned for 2023 at the earliest. The Swiss grid operator Swissgrid is also Member of Entso-E.

At the time, the EU hoped that the connection would mean that one day it would be possible to import a lot of “green” electricity from the Ukraine. The SWP writes that Ukraine could become one of the key countries for the German economy, which is dependent on energy imports. Wind, sun, biomass, water and vast areas are, after all, abundant in Ukraine.

Ukraine, on the other hand, hoped that the step would improve energy security, lower electricity production costs and, in general, closer ties to the EU.

Due to the attack by Russia on Ukraine, the situation has now changed significantly and security of supply should now be the priority. Continental European grid operators are now supporting the stability of the Ukraine-Moldova electricity system, Entso-E wrote in a Wednesday Message.

However, the merger also harbors risks for the countries that are already connected to the European power grid. Should there be a power outage in Ukraine, it “could spread to other parts of Europe,” writes the SWP. All 42 Entso-E members – and thus also Swissgrid – had to agree to the so-called synchronization. It is also an act of solidarity.

Coincidence or not, on the very day the Russian invasion began, Ukrainian grid operator Ukrenergo had the Ukrainian power grid Decoupled from post-Soviet Russian IPS/UPS system for testing purposes. As a result, Kyiv decided to no longer connect to the network. Rather, it was allowed to run in so-called island mode and, as mentioned, an emergency connection to the European network was requested.

EU technicians then worked feverishly to speed up the project after energy ministers gave the go-ahead for synchronization at an extraordinary meeting in late February. The SWP writes that the technical hurdles for a connection are high and that a complex set of rules applies to the preparation of the Ukrainian network.

EU: reluctant to join – pragmatic when it comes to electricity

While EU member states failed to accommodate Ukraine at their meeting in Versailles on EU accession, officials in Brussels and member states pushed hard on electricity. Entso-E did a year’s work in two weeks, Simson admitted quote.

The Commissioner also thanked Ukraine’s grid operator and Energy Minister German Galushchenko for their “heroic efforts” to keep Ukraine’s energy systems running amid a horrific war.

And Simson also wrote that she is looking forward to the time when the joint cooperation for the “green” transformation and market reforms will be deepened.

“Ukraine has become a member of the EU Energy Union,” wrote Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the short message service Twitter. It is one of the few pieces of good news for his beleaguered country these days.


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