Ukraine's PM lists seven tasks for comprehensive reform of energy sector
MOSCOW. April 21 (Interfax) - Ukraine faces seven tasks for a comprehensive reform of its energy sector, the country's Prime Minister Denis Shmygal told his government on Friday, as quoted by Ukrainian media.
"There are seven concrete tasks in the energy sphere with various completion horizons, but all of them are key to Ukraine's energy security and energy independence," Shmygal said.
The first task is to restore the energy system, with a large-scale effort already getting underway to repair, build and reconstruct power-generation and distribution facilities, he said.
The second task is to decentralize the power systems by developing small-scale generation, deploying gas-turbine and gas-piston units, and introducing power accumulation and storage facilities, he said.
The third task is to continue integrating the national grid into that of the European Union; the fourth is to develop green energy; the fifth is to stabilize Ukraine's natural gas production and boost its output considerably; the sixth is to become energy efficient and reduce energy consumption.
The seventh task is oil refining and transportation, the prime minister said. "Ukraine's oil pipelines work efficiently and we'll store our oil reserves in new secure storage facilities. Using advanced exploration technologies will help us boost oil production. And upgrading oil pipelines will open an opportunity for oil transportation to Germany, Hungary, Slovakia and Czech Republic, with a simultaneous importing option to prop up Ukraine's energy security," Shmygal said.
Ukraine is beginning to prepare for the next heating season by using a range of options, including "repairing what is damaged, building new [facilities], stockpiling energy resources, mobilizing aid from international partners for all these goals," he said.
"What do we end this central-heating season with? With a surplus grid capacity, 1.4 million tonnes of coal stockpiled, 8.5 billion cubic meters of gas in gas storages. Last year we accumulated a sufficient amount of resources. This played a major role. Now we are beginning to accumulate resources again for the next heating season. We approach this work systemically," Shmygal said.