Ukraine's Centrenergo plans to import coal for upcoming fall and winter - CEO

MOSCOW. Aug 25 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian state-owned company Centrenergo plans to import coal to go through the 2023-2024 fall and winter period, Andrei Churkin, the company's CEO, said in an interview with Ukrainian media.

"We can't go through this winter solely on our own coal. And Centrenergo plans to conclude contracts with foreign companies in the near future. There are certain blueprints already, and I think there'll be a result within a month. We need to reach the level of at least 80,000 tonnes of coal a month," Churkin said.

While this amount of coal would be enough, the company is also preparing to operate on natural gas and mazut (low-quality fuel oil), he said.

"For instance, the Tripolye thermal power plant can operate on mazut. We've already stocked up on it, and I've asked the plant's technical directorate to give it a test run on this type of fuel," he said.

"The closest and the most affordable coal for us is that from Poland," and mazut is supplied to the company by Ukrnafta, he said.