Ukraine seeks to reduce natural gas consumption to level of own production - energy minister

KYIV. May 25 (Interfax) - Ukraine will keep reducing natural gas consumption to the level of its own production and switching to carbon-free energy sources, Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said while meeting with United States Deputy Chief of Mission to Ukraine Alan Purcell and Director of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission to Ukraine James Hope on Wednesday.

"USAID's involvement in preparing new energy sector construction projects should promote this," the ministry quoted Halushchenko said saying in a statement on its website.

Increasing Ukrainian electricity exports to Europe is also among the Energy Ministry's short-term priorities, he said.

Ukraine reduced own gas production by 2.2% to 19.79 billion cubic meters in 2021.