The European Union has transferred an additional 30 million euros to the Ukraine Energy Support Fund, thereby increasing its total contribution to the fund to 279 million euros, according to Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Denys Shmyhal.
“The funds received through this financial instrument are helping us restore energy infrastructure damaged by Russian attacks, purchase urgently needed equipment for our energy companies, and ensure a reliable energy supply, first and foremost for critical infrastructure,” – Shmyhal was quoted as saying by the Ministry of Energy’s press service on its Telegram channel on Saturday.
According to “Serbian Economist”, Serbia has provided Ukraine with humanitarian aid totaling approximately 63 million euros since the start of the full-scale war, said Andon Sapundži, Serbia’s ambassador to Ukraine.
About 10 million euros of this amount was allocated to support Ukraine’s energy sector and restore damaged infrastructure.
Serbia also announced an additional contribution of 2 million euros as part of the UNDP’s “Green Energy for Ukraine” program.
The funds are planned to be used to install transformer equipment with a total capacity of 63 MW to meet the needs of Kryvyi Rih. The equipment is expected to be commissioned in early 2027.
According to the ambassador, Serbian companies are already exploring opportunities to participate in Ukrainian reconstruction projects. Areas of particular interest include the energy sector, construction, the production of building materials, transportation infrastructure, and industrial cooperation.
He emphasized that Ukraine’s reconstruction should not be postponed until the end of the war, as some energy and infrastructure needs must be addressed immediately.
Serbian business participation in large-scale projects is currently in the stage of assessing opportunities and identifying specific partnerships.
The Kyiv Region Regional Development Agency has signed a memorandum of cooperation with Aydem Holding A.S., one of Turkey’s largest energy investors, regarding the construction of up to 100 MW of renewable energy capacity in the region.
According to a post by the Agency on LinkedIn on Thursday, it will provide comprehensive support to the investor at all stages of the project’s implementation, including identifying the optimal land plot, engaging with local communities, and coordinating with government authorities. Project support will be provided in collaboration with UkraineInvest.
“Our goal is to make the Kyiv region one of the most attractive regions for international investors, where large-scale investment projects are implemented quickly, transparently, and effectively,” commented Nazarii Volyanskyi, director of the Agency.
According to him, the partnership with Aydem Holding A.S. will mark the beginning of new large-scale investments, contribute to the development of the region’s energy infrastructure, and strengthen the Ukrainian-Turkish economic partnership.
The holding company’s website states that it has been operating in the fields of electricity generation, distribution, and retail for 40 years, applying an innovative approach in the energy sector. The primary focus is on renewable energy: hydro, wind, and geothermal sources.
Aydem Holding, ENERGY, INVESTMENT, Kyiv Oblast, RENEWABLE ENERGY
Moldovan Prime Minister Vasile Tofan acknowledges the possibility of rolling blackouts in the country and describes the situation in the energy sector as difficult.
“Perhaps our calls for conservation will be heeded only after the first rolling blackouts. And perhaps it will be difficult for us to bring about such changes until we make the appropriate decision. Some believe it would be wiser not to buy expensive electricity on the exchange but to implement rolling blackouts—that is, a controlled blackout. Then, perhaps, when each of us has to spend half an hour in the evening without electricity, people will better understand the situation, and as a society we will become more economical in our energy consumption,” the prime minister said at a press conference on Thursday.
According to him, the situation in the energy sector remains difficult, and Moldova may lose the ability to purchase even emergency electricity (during peak hours), which it has been buying from Ukraine in recent days.
“Unfortunately, as of August 6, the power supply situation looks very bad—much worse than it is today. And tomorrow, most likely, or very probably, we will not be able to purchase emergency electricity, which costs 2–3 times as much. At least, that is the response we received from Ukrenergo,” Tofan emphasized.
He expressed surprise that on the evening of August 4, despite the government’s calls to conserve electricity, electricity consumption was higher than on the same day the previous week. He suggested that this might be due to objective factors, such as high temperatures.
“Nevertheless, Moldova must change its consumption habits by avoiding the use of energy-intensive household appliances during peak hours, from 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. I do not rule out that power outages could make us more disciplined in this regard,” Tofan said.
Temporary energy-saving measures during peak hours have been in effect in Moldova since August 4. According to the commission’s decision, government agencies, retail establishments, economic entities, and other categories of consumers are required to take energy-saving measures from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
On July 28, the Moldovan government declared a 30-day state of heightened readiness in the energy and hydrology sectors. This decision was made in light of risks associated with low water levels in the Dniester River.
From July 27 to August 2, Ukraine reduced electricity imports by 32.0% compared to the previous week—to 22,600 MWh—while exports rose by 49.6%—to 84,200 MWh, according to the DIXI Group analytical center, citing data from Energy Map.
“Thus, Ukraine has maintained its status as a net exporter for the fourth consecutive week: the volume of electricity supplied abroad exceeded imports by a factor of 3.7,” the center noted.
Last week’s export growth was driven by increased demand for electricity in European countries due to hot weather and competitive pricing conditions. Throughout the week, prices on Ukraine’s “day-ahead” (DAA) market remained lower than on the DAA markets of neighboring Eastern European countries.
According to Energy Map, Hungary accounted for the largest share of imports last month—7.8 thousand MWh, or 34.6%. Romania accounted for 6,900 MWh (30.4%), Slovakia for 5,900 MWh (26.3%), and Poland for 2,000 MWh (8.7%).
Exports, in turn, took place daily, and their daily volumes throughout the week were 2–6 times higher than imports.
Hungary also remained the main export destination, with 36.3 thousand MWh (43.1% of total exports) supplied there. Exports to Moldova totaled 25.8 thousand MWh (30.6%), to Romania – 18.9 thousand MWh (22.5%), to Slovakia – 3.1 thousand MWh (3.7%), and to Poland – 0.1 thousand MWh (0.1%).
Compared to the previous week, exports increased by 7–70% for most destinations.
Romanian authorities plan to conduct a controlled sinking of four barges loaded with rocks in the Bala branch of the Danube to redirect more water to the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant and prevent the shutdown of its only operating reactor unit.
The operation is scheduled to begin on August 5 after 2:00 p.m. The barges are intended to form a temporary underwater dam and divert part of the flow from the Bala branch to the Old Danube, from where water enters the nuclear power plant’s cooling system. Authorities expect to raise the water level near the plant by 10–12 cm.
Currently, only Power Unit No. 2 is operating at “Cernavodă.” The first of the two reactors was shut down last week due to critically low water levels in the Danube. Under normal conditions, the plant’s two units account for about one-fifth of Romania’s electricity production.
Before flooding the barges, the Romanian military carried out a controlled demolition of part of the Pirjoaia underwater rock formation, which had been hindering the redistribution of the river’s flow. Following this intervention, the drop in water levels near the plant temporarily ceased. Previously, the Danube’s water level in this area had been falling by approximately 2–3 cm per day.
As of the morning of August 5, the water flow at the Danube’s entry into Romania was approximately 1,450 cubic meters per second. By August 7, this figure could drop to 1,400 cubic meters per second—nearly one-third of the long-term average for August, which stands at 3,900 cubic meters.
As early as August 1, representatives of the National Administration “Waters of Romania” warned that without emergency measures, the second power unit would be able to operate at its maximum capacity for only four to five days. If the water level drops below operational thresholds, the reactor will be shut down in a controlled manner in accordance with safety procedures.
At the same time, dredging operations are continuing in the Old Danube–Bala Branch section. Specialists must remove some of the debris left over from the explosion and secure the submerged barges, as the current could displace them and reduce the effectiveness of the temporary dam.
Romania has declared a state of energy readiness for August. Due to reduced output at nuclear power plants and other power stations, the country has increased electricity imports and called on businesses, government agencies, and the public to reduce consumption during peak-load hours.
The critically low water level of the Danube is causing problems not only for Romania. The Paks Nuclear Power Plant in Hungary has also sharply reduced production: three of the four turbines were shut down, and the remaining one was operating at only a fraction of its capacity.
