22 Jul 2019 14:13

Ukraine fully utilizing gas import capacity

KYIV. July 22 (Interfax) - Ukraine is utilizing 100% of its existing capacity for importing natural gas, said Serhiy Makogon, the head of LLC Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine (TSO)

"The day has come! Imports of gas reached 66.3 million cubic meters, which represents 100% of our technical capacity. A landmark event," Makogon wrote on Facebook.

TSO's throughput capacity on Ukraine's border is 42.5 mcm/day from Slovakia, 19.5 mcm/day from Hungary, and 4.3 mcm/day from Poland.

Ukraine is planning to start the 2019/20 heating season with 20 billion cubic meters of gas in its underground storage facilities, as it fears that Russia's Gazprom will stop transporting gas through its territory after this year. As of the morning of July 21, 15.018 bcm was in underground storage, the head of Naftogaz Ukrainy, Andriy Kobolyev, wrote on Facebook earlier on Monday.

"We still need to add 5 bcm. There are 86 days until the end of the pumping season," he wrote.