If Slovakia stops supplying electricity to Ukraine from January 1, 2025, Poland may increase its exports to the Ukrainian side by redistributing capacity between other EU countries neighboring Ukraine, Ukrinform reported, quoted by BTA.
The technical aspects of the possible increase in electricity exports from Poland to Ukraine were announced in response to a question from Ukrinform to the Polish transmission system operator (PSE).
According to the operator, the maximum transmission capacity for electricity exports from the EU to Ukraine and Moldova is currently 2,100 megawatts (MW). This capacity is distributed between four EU member states neighboring Ukraine – Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary, with Polish exports accounting for 15 percent or 315 megawatts.
Depending on the operating conditions of the connected systems, these export levels may vary, the Polish transmission system operator announced.
The company noted that electricity trade is carried out via the 400-kilovolt power line between the city of Rzeszow in Poland and the city of Khmelnytskyi in western Ukraine.
The transmission capacity of the link is available through so-called daily coordinated auctions (one auction for both sides of the link), which are held by the company "Joint Allocation Office" (Joint Allocation Office), a leading provider of services to transmission system operators.
If Slovakia stops supplying electricity to Ukraine, the capacity could be allocated to other EU countries, including Poland, the transmission system operator said in a statement.
Warsaw is ready to increase domestic electricity production and exports to Ukraine in the event that Bratislava stops supplies, Ukrinform added, citing a senior Polish official quoted by Bloomberg.
On Friday, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico announced that his country would consider actions in response to the suspension of Russian gas transit through Ukraine from January 1, 2025. One of the options, he added, is to cut off electricity supplies that Ukraine needs.