Ukraine needs to import approximately 3.5 million tons of thermal coal during the coming heating season, Energy Minister Herman Galushchenko said.
"In addition, it is necessary to import about 3.5 million tons during the heating season in accordance with the coal accumulation schedule," the minister said in an exclusive interview to the Interfax-Ukraine agency.
At the same time, he noted that generating companies - both DTEK and Centerenergo - have begun to conclude contracts for the import of coal.
According to the words, the price of electricity in the Ukrainian market already makes it possible to “calmly buy coal, produce electricity, sell and earn”.
“We expect that we will stabilize the situation with coal and will calmly pass the heating season,” the minister summed up.
Like reported , Rinat Akhmetov's DTEK Energo and the state holding PJSC Centrenergo have agreed to supply 75 thousand tons of thermal coal from the United States in the coming months, which they will share equally. The supply of American coal from Hamilton mine US will be carried out through the international trader Trafigura.
DTEK also announced the start of coal supplies from Poland, the first batch of which in the amount of 2.7 thousand tons arrived in Ukraine on August 19 within the framework of an agreement signed with the Polish coal mining company Bogdanka on the import of 320 thousand tons of energy coal. In addition, DTEK Energo expects fuel supplies from Kazakhstan.
The Ministry of Energy of Ukraine has increased the planned indicators for the accumulation of coal in the warehouses of TPPs and TPPs at the beginning of the autumn-winter period (OZP) - for October - up to 3.046 million tons, which is 2.16 times higher than the plan approved by the previous monthly schedule.
