Trypilska TPP / REUTERS
The ministry estimates Russia will account for 81.8% of total coal imports next year.
Ukraine's Energy and Coal Industry Ministry forecasts that consumption of natural gas and coal in the country will grow in 2019.
The ministry has drafted and approved the structure of fuel for thermal power plants (TPPs) and combined heat and power plants (CHPPs) for 2019, according to which consumption of natural gas by TPPs and CHPPs is expected to increase by 0.52% to 4.9 billion cubic meters compared to 2018 (the structure of the fuel for thermal power plants and combined heat and power plants in 2018).
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Consumption of thermal coal is expected to grow by 4.4% to 27.75 million tonnes compared with 2018.
In particular, TPPs and CHPPs are to consume 5.1 million tonnes of anthracite coal and 22.65 million tonnes of gas coal in 2019, the ministry said on its website. Of the volume, 4.67 million tonnes of anthracite coal will be bought abroad. In particular, 3.82 million tonnes is to be imported from Russia, which will be 81.8% of total coal imports next year, and 0.42 million tonnes from the United States.
The ministry forecasts that electricity production at TPPs and CHPPs in 2019 will be 63.4 billion kWh.
As UNIAN reported, Ukraine reduced natural gas consumption by 6.3% in 2017, to 28.4 billion cubic meters, the operator of Ukraine's gas transportation system, JSC Ukrtransgaz, said.