The Ukrainian company Naftogaz has started importing gas to ensure the heating season, Forbes reported.
So far, these are small-volume deliveries, but in general, according to experts, up to 500 million euros may be needed to solve the problem.
So far, imports are small - 100 million cubic meters, but ten times more may be needed to get through the winter without interruptions.
As the publication recalls, last summer the company assured that Ukraine would be able to survive the winter using its own gas. However, if the winter cold intensifies and Ukraine's own gas reserves are not sufficient, this could lead to mass heating outages.
On January 30, the former head of the company "Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine" Sergey Makogon announced that gas volumes in Ukrainian storage facilities had dropped to an almost critical level of ten percent. Sergey Makogon.
He noted that Ukraine should immediately start importing gas in large quantities to cover domestic needs. Since the gas in the storage is under pressure, lower levels mean that less fuel can be extracted each day, he said.
"This will mean that we will not be able to meet gas demand through production and underground gas facilities and will have to import gas exceptionally", the specialist noted.
He stressed that a year ago the storages were full by about 20 percent, and in 2023 at the same time - by 22-23 percent. He estimated the current daily gas consumption at 110 million cubic meters, of which 52 million are covered by production and 58 million come from storage. In conditions of severe frosts, consumption could increase to 150 million and this increase will not be able to be covered by reserves.
“We have never been in such a situation before“, the expert commented on the situation. According to him, "if frosts hit", the available gas will not be enough to get through the winter. Ukraine will come out of the current heating season with almost empty storage facilities, he said.