Calculations show that the average daily import volume rose by 41% between the periods of January 1–17 and January 18–30, 2026, reaching 33.9 thousand MWh. Additionally, January saw a record-breaking daily import figure of 41.9 thousand MWh.
Capacity Utilization Trends
The analysis highlights a substantial rise in the utilization of cross-border transmission capacity. The number of hours where the interconnectors are used at 100% capacity is increasing, primarily during daylight hours and evening peaks.
In terms of hourly distribution, the most significant growth occurred between 08:00 and 17:00, with increases ranging from 50% to 135%. These are the specific hours for which the price ceilings were recently raised.
New Price Caps Overview
The regulator adjusted the price caps on short-term electricity market segments effective January 17, 2026 (for the delivery day of January 18). Effectively, the upper price cap for all hours on the Day-Ahead Market (DAM) and the Intraday Market (IDM) was raised to 15,000.00 UAH/MWh.
The current limits are as follows:
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Day-Ahead and Intraday Markets: Maximum price – 15,000.00 UAH/MWh; Minimum price – 10.00 UAH/MWh.
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Balancing Market: Maximum price – 16,000.00 UAH/MWh; Minimum price – 0.01 UAH/MWh.
The adjustment aims to make electricity imports more economically viable during periods of high demand, ensuring greater stability for the national power grid.
