Ukraine needs to stock 2 mln to 3 mln tonnes of coal by 2022/2023 heating season - Ukrainian PM

MOSCOW. June 8 (Interfax) - The coal stock at Ukrainian thermal power plants should amount to 2 million or 3 million tonnes by the beginning of the 2022/2023 heating season, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said.

"That will ensure stable supply to both the population and businesses. The maximum amount we are planning to store by the beginning of the heating season is roughly 3 million tonnes of coal. This is the task set for the Energy Ministry," Shmyhal said at a government meeting on Tuesday.

He added that coal production decreased by approximately a third at state-run coalmines.

Given a decline in electricity consumption by around 30%, the generation capacities would be enough for Ukraine and exports to Europe, Shmyhal said.

"The potential revenue is hundreds of millions of dollars a year," he said.

As reported earlier, the Ukrainian government set up headquarters to prepare for the heating season. Minister for Communities and Territories Development Oleksiy Chernyshev headed the body.

In addition, the government tasked Naftogaz of Ukraine with storing at least 19 billion cubic meters of gas by the beginning of the heating season.

Preparations for the heating season are the priority objective of the Energy Ministry and the Ministry for Communities and Territories Development, and the respective ministers are ordered to report every two weeks, Shmyhal said.

As of September 1, 2021, underground storage facilities contained 18.16 bcm of gas, and 738,300 tonnes of coal were stored.