Ukraine stops exporting natural gas at midnight
“According to the decision of the Crisis Committee approved by order of the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine dated 26.02.2022 No. 87 ‘On the introduction of an emergency crisis ‘Within the measures provided by the National Energy Action Plan in case of emergency’, natural gas market participants are prohibited from exporting natural gas from the customs territory of Ukraine, including natural gas in underground gas storages of Ukraine in the customs regime ‘customs warehouse’,” the Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine informs.
In this regard, the Gas TSO of Ukraine suspends natural gas transportation services to cross-border exit points from the GTS of Ukraine for natural gas export operations. From the next gas day, (March 04, 2022) capacity distribution and confirmation of nominations / renominations for the purpose of export of natural gas will be stopped.
However, this decision doesn’t affect natural gas transit activity, the Operator assures.
“Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has led to extraordinary and unprecedented conditions and restrictions when all energy companies must focus on maintaining the natural gas supply for Ukraine and Ukrainians,” reads the statement.
According to the GTSOU, more than 2 billion cubic meters of gas were exported from Ukraine last year. As of the beginning of December, non-residents stored about 1.2 billion cubic meters of gas in Ukrainian underground storage facilities in the "customs warehouse" regime.
The largest volumes of resources are usually supplied to Hungary, Slovakia, and Poland. Gas is exported by more than 20 companies, including both foreign and Ukrainian traders and domestic private production companies. Now their export opportunities have been temporarily limited.
Ukraine calls on international partners to take more active steps to stop the gas flow from the aggressor state to Europe. According to Energy Minister German Galushchenko, Russian gas supplies to Europe have even increased since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. On Thursday, Gazprom said that daily demand from European consumers reached 109.5 million cubic meters compared to 103.8 million cubic meters a week ago.
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