Operations at the Šoštanj Thermal Power Plant were interrupted earlier than planned after Unit 6 went offline on 10 April, just one day before its scheduled seasonal shutdown. Plant data shows a sudden drop in output during morning hours, a pattern typically associated with unplanned technical stoppages.
According to the operator, the unit had already been set for shutdown on 11 April following the evening peak in electricity demand, as heating needs from nearby Velenje were expected to decline. However, the timeline was moved forward after a technical fault triggered a safety response system.
The plant reported that a disturbance in the generator caused increased turbine vibrations, leading to an automatic shutdown of the turbo-generator unit. Following the incident, Unit 6 was taken out of operation, while heat production was maintained using gas turbines to ensure continued supply.
Despite the unexpected nature of the interruption, the outage closely aligns with the originally planned maintenance schedule. The operator expects the unit to return to service around mid-September, when seasonal demand for thermal energy typically rises again with colder weather.
