Фото: facebook.com/gas.tso.ua
Ukraine must accumulate a minimum of 13.2 billion cubic meters of natural gas before the heating season begins, with 4.6 billion cubic meters to be sourced through imports.
Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk shared this information during the presentation of the government’s action plan, as reported by Delo.ua.
“The target before the heating season starts is to inject at least 13.2 billion cubic meters, including 4.6 billion from imports. It’s crucial to highlight that this objective has full backing from international partners,” emphasized the Energy Minister.
She noted that gas injection is progressing according to schedule, occasionally even ahead of plan.
Hrynchuk assured that Ukraine will have sufficient supplies of both gas and coal for the winter.
Ukrainian gas storage facilities one-third full
As of August 5, Ukraine’s underground gas reserves surpassed 10 billion cubic meters, accounting for 32.3% of total storage capacity. Although current levels remain the lowest in the past 12 years, the gap compared to last year’s figures is gradually narrowing.
According to consulting firm ExPro, gas injection rates continue to exceed last year’s volumes significantly.
Higher injection activity is primarily tied to vigorous natural gas imports. In July, imports surged to 833 million cubic meters, the highest level in nearly two years. Early August saw a 26% decline in imports, but daily volumes remain above 20 million cubic meters. As in July, state-owned Naftogaz Ukraine handles the bulk of imports.
To secure these imports, Naftogaz secured loans totaling UAH 4.7 billion from state-owned banks Ukrgasbank and PrivatBank in late July. Overall, the company aims to import up to 4.5 billion cubic meters of gas by the 2025/2026 heating season.
