The introduction of the state of emergency on the Ukrainian electricity market would allow rotating blackouts if they are required, Ukrainian Energy and Coal Industry Minister Ihor Nasalyk has said.

"The paragraph applied when there are urgent problems and misbalance between power consumption and generation is foreseen. We will use rotating blackouts to balance generation and consumption," he said at an extraordinary government meeting late on Wednesday.

He said that the adoption of the resolution would help to minimize consumption of anthracite at thermal power plants (TPPs) to ensure stable operation of the country's power grid. The measures would help to cut anthracite consumption in winter period by 300-350 tonnes a month.

Nasalyk also said that the resolution permits national energy company Ukrenergo to manually determine the loading of TPPs units. This is switch from the operation of the units using price bids.

In addition, the resolution envisages the reduction of the 'hot' reserve of energy capacity of TPPs by at least 500 MW, which is required if reactors of nuclear power plants (NPPs) are stopped off the schedule. Today there is a surplus of NPP capacity.

As reported, the Ukrainian government at the extraordinary government meeting on February 15 introduced the state of emergency on the Ukrainian electricity market.