Ukraine imposes state of emergency in energy sector

The Ukrainian government said in a statement on Wednesday it has imposed a state of emergency in the country's energy sector due to the shortages of anthracite coal, which is used in power production and in metallurgy.

"We will use the rolling blackouts in order to balance production and consumption of power," Igor Nasalyk, the country's Energy and Coal Minister, told a cabinet meeting.

Besides, under the emergency measures, which were imposed for a month with an extension option, Ukraine will boost the share of nuclear power in its energy mix, Nasalyk said.

In addition, Ukrainian industrial enterprises will shift to the special schedules of electricity consumption in order to reduce the power intake in the peak hours.

The crisis in Ukraine's energy sector came as a group of activists has blocked the movements of trains, transporting anthracite coal from the area in eastern Ukraine controlled by pro-independence insurgents to the government-controlled territory.

The blockade, which entered its third week, has left Ukraine with coal reserves enough to cover little more than a month of running thermal power plants, which generate almost half of the country's electricity.

Besides, the blockade has stopped the exports of anthracite coal from Ukraine and disrupted the work of energy-intensive metallurgical enterprises, which generate more than 20 percent of the country's exports revenues and provide about 300,000 jobs.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman has called an emergency meeting of the National Security and Defence Council over the blockade. Endit