Bloomberg: Finns risk death from cold due to lack of electricity from Russia
The residents of Finland have to choose “between bad options” in anticipation of the planned winter rotating blackouts due to loss of supply from Russia, writes Bloomberg.
Since May 14, the Russian energy holding Inter RAO has stopped supplying electricity to Finland due to difficulties with the acceptance of payments for electricity already sold. At the end of 2021, electricity exports from Russia to Finland amounted to 8.2 billion kWh.
Despite the fact that imports from Russia accounted for only a small part of the total volume of electricity purchases by Finland, its loss could lead to negative consequences, the material notes. According to Arto Pahkin, network operations manager at Finnish power grid company Fingrid, if planned blackouts are not carried out in some regions, there will be a large-scale failure that will lead to “people may die” from the cold.
Bloomberg refers to data from Finland’s Ministry of Defense, which told what happens when the power goes out when the temperature drops to minus 20 degrees Celsius. Immediately after the cutoff, electrical appliances and public transport stop working, ATMs and payment cards stop functioning and gas stations close. After 18 hours, the temperature in wooden houses drops to plus 10 degrees Celsius. After 30 hours, wooden buildings begin to freeze and there is a threat of burst pipes. After 36 hours, the cold comes to the concrete apartment buildings, the temperature drops to plus ten degrees Celsius. In four days, because of the cold, pipes burst in most homes, people need to evacuate.
Earlier, Aalto University professor Peter Lund warned that the regulation of electricity consumption in Finland could lead to a complete blackout in the country.
“In the worst case, it could lead to the entire power system going out – a complete blackout. Then there would be no electricity anywhere in the country,” he said.
Western nations and Finland in particular have faced rising energy prices and a spike in inflation because of sanctions against Moscow and a policy of abandoning Russian fuel. Against the backdrop of rising fuel prices, primarily gas, industry in Europe has largely lost its competitive advantage, which has affected other areas of the economy. Also, the U.S. and European states faced the highest inflation in decades.
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