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Russia is still heating Ukraine

Due to the instable political situation and impending winter, Ukraine has a problem of a lack of energy resources, especially coal. Most of the coal mines of Ukraine are situated in the parts of the country which is controlled by the DPR and LPR, while the NPP cannot substitute coal energy in winter completely. The population tries to shift from gas to electricity, as gas will be imported from Russia, according to prepayments. Meanwhile, coal depots which are controlled by the People’s Republics have about 4 million tons of coal.

Alexander Golyashev, the head of the Research Work Department of the Analytical Center under the Russian government, says that “energy must use either gas or coal, but neither of them are available at the moment. The Ukrainian government is prolonging the emergency situation with electric energy in the country month after month; the Ministry of Energy and Coal warns about rolling power cuts; last time there were rolling power cuts, it was the early 1990s. As for imports from Russia, it has always only involved coking coal. Only in summer, in August, when everything was destroyed in the east of the country by military activities, did imports begin.”

The expert says that, despite political contradictions between the two countries, Russian companies are glad to export coal to Ukraine: “Private traders bought it from Kemerovo companies in August and September, but the problem is logistics. The supplies cannot be provided through the DPR and LPR; they should be provided through the north – the Kharkov and Sumskaya Regions, but the capacity of border checkpoints which are controlled by Kiev is not very big.”

Yuri Plakitnik, the deputy director of the Institute for Energy Studies of the RAS, says “in the last 5-7 years import of energy resources reduced in Ukraine by 4% annually, most of it was Russian imports. But consumption of coal was growing… The fuel energy balance has changed. In trying to avoid gas imports, Ukrainian energy became addicted to coal imports.”

The expert notes that the problem “became worse this year for political reasons. Normally, about 8-9 million tons of Russian coal were always imported by Ukraine. According to my data, this year at the moment Russia is still exporting coal… Despite well-known circumstances, there was a meeting of coal entrepreneurs at the Ministry of Energy. The Ministry published a statement that it wouldn’t prevent imports of Russian coal to Ukraine.”

According to Yuri Plakitnik, Ukraine is now dependent on Russian coal: “There are different views on volumes of possible exports which should cover the deficit in the fuel and energy balance. I think 3-4 million tons are needed to heat the population. Some say up to 6 million are needed; but 3-4 million are of top priority for the population to feel warm, if not comfortable.”

Source: vestnikkavkaza.net