“One question is whether there are physical resources or whether it will be possible to buy, acquire the resources necessary for energy, for heating. And the other is how much it will cost the state and who will pay for it. Both the first and second questions are both important. In the news It was said a lot that coal reserves are small. This problem does exist, but it is under control and it will be resolved, “he said.
The economist noted that in Ukraine every year the heating season looks like a “heroic struggle”, allegedly due to insufficient preparation for this, “but every year we go through a normal heating season.”
“We have the opportunity to pass this season normally. The question is really more of a financial one. Because prices on world markets are very high and much depends on whether they continue to grow or stabilize. And, of course, the state will smooth out the difference. […] But, again, the question is – how critical is it for the budget? These are not such large sums – the question is, I don’t know, billions. Sounds like a lot. But compare this with the hundreds of billions that are needed for medicine, defense, and education. Yes, we are talking about completely different amounts of money, “Milovanov explained.
Yuriy Vitrenko, head of the board of NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy, said on December 13 that gas reserves in Ukraine’s gas storage facilities should be sufficient to pass the winter calmly… Three days later, he admitted that if in February in Ukraine there will be two weeks of frost up to 15 degrees, then there will really be problems during the heating season.
On December 17, the Prime Minister of Ukraine Denis Shmygal announced that two thermal power plants (TPP) and two combined heat and power plants (CHP) switch to natural gas due to the lack of coal in warehouses.
On December 8, the Security Service of Ukraine sent a report to the Cabinet of Ministers, in which it warned the government of Ukraine about the real threat of stopping the TPP due to the lack of coal. According to the document, as of December 1, there were 486.2 thousand tons of coal in the warehouses with a planned accumulation of 2632.7 thousand tons (deviation – 2146.5 thousand tons).
As of December 16, until data “Ukrenergo”, coal reserves in TPP warehouses amounted to 447.3 thousand tons. December 6 coal reserves made up 414.9 thousand tons.
To replenish warehouses, Ukraine will monthly import from six to 10 ships of coal by sea, said the deputy head of the President’s Office Rostislav Shurma. According to him, by the end of the year, the warehouses will have at least 800 thousand tons of coal.
The Energy Ministry stressed that the accumulation of coal in warehouses continues. So, in December, it is expected about 1.95 million tons of supplies of Ukrainian and imported coal in general. At the same time, the planned consumption is expected to be about 1.7 million tons.
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