Some 800,000 tonnes of coal stored at warehouses of Ukraine's generating companies

MOSCOW. Jan 11 (Interfax) - Coal stocks at Ukrainian generating companies' warehouses stand at around 800,000 tonnes, which is sufficient to produce the required amount of electricity, Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko said.

"There are approximately 800,000 tonnes. It is quite enough for us," Ukrainian media quoted Galushchenko as saying at a press briefing after Japan handed over a batch of large-sized equipment to support Ukraine's energy sector.

Ukraine's PJSC Centrenergo will continue to import coal and has increased its stockpiles, while gas intended for electricity production is being used by generating facilities at the planned level, he said.

As reported, Galushchenko said in parliament in early October coal stocks at Ukrainian generating companies' warehouses totaled 1.3 million tonnes, and there were 90,000 tonnes more at mines' warehouses.

Centrenergo said at the beginning of November that it had provided its thermal power plants with enough fuel to get through the fall-winter season of 2023-2024 by delivering coal from all Ukrainian state-owned mines and due to imports from Poland.

The company's head Andrei Churkin said then that coal from Poland would be delivered on a permanent basis and the amounts envisaged in the contracts would be sufficient both for Centrenergo facilities and for the domestic market, should such a need arise.

Centrenergo imports some 60,000-70,000 tonnes of coal a month, Ukrainian media said.