Ukraine offers third of its gas storage to European Union
According to the statement published on the Ukrtransgaz website, Ukraine is ready to lease at least a third of its gas storages to EU countries.
“This should ensure uninterrupted gas supply to the consumers of Russian gas from Hungary and other European countries next winter “even if Russia stops gas transit through the territory of Ukraine to the EU countries after January 1, 2020,” stated the operator of the gas transportation system of Ukraine.
According to Ukrtransgaz, they can now offer about 12 billion cubic meters of gas stored in underground gas storages to European consumers. “The maximum daily extraction capacity from underground gas storage facilities can reach 260 million cubic meters,” the statement read.
For example, Hungary, which annually consumes more than 10 billion cubic meters of natural gas, may use the gas reserves in Ukrainian gas storage facilities. Two thirds of this volume is Russian gas, about 20% is domestic production, and the rest is imported from Austria.
According to Ukrtransgaz, the system of underground gas storage facilities of Ukraine consists of 11 units with a total capacity of 31 billion cubic meters of gas. Over the past ten years, Ukraine has been using only 50-60% of its technical capabilities to meet its needs.