Western energy companies are actively pumping gas into underground storage facilities in Ukraine, as tanks in the European Union are almost full. In this respect reports The Financial Times quotes data from Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE).
According to GIE, gas reserves in EU storage facilities have reached 99% against the 90% target. More gas will be stocked in 2023 than in 2022, thanks to liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports and low fuel demand.
Naftogaz president Alexey Chernyshov noted that the volume of gas owned by European companies and stored in Ukrainian underground gas storage facilities has reached 2 billion cubic meters. The state-owned company also offers more than 10 billion cubic meters of free capacity.
“European companies are assuming the commercial risk of placing gas in Ukraine,” he said.
Expert Wayne Bryan of LSEG said keeping underground gas storage facilities full would provide a “short-term buffer” but cold weather could quickly deplete resources. According to him, Europe is vulnerable due to its dependence on LNG supplies.
Before happened It is known that in July 2023, approximately 600 million cubic meters of gas entered Ukraine’s storage facilities from Europe; This is the maximum figure for a year and a half. This is facilitated by low storage tariffs and the elimination of taxes. But there are risks from fights, so the EU is considering insurance guarantees.
previously Ukraine warned About the possibility of terminating Russia’s gas transit to Europe in 2024.
Source: Gazeta
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