Luhansk TPP starts using gas due to lack of Russian anthracite

Deputy Chairman of Luhansk Regional State Administration Yuriy Klymenko says the Luhansk thermal power plant (TPP), which is located in the town of Shchastya, Luhansk region, and is owned by DTEK Skhidenergo, has begun using natural gas instead of anthracite coal due to its lack in warehouses and failure to arrange new supplies.

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"Today, the Luhansk TPP has had to transfer from coal to gas due to failure to arrange coal supplies by rail from Russia. The government and [National Joint-Stock Company] Naftogaz [of Ukraine] have made the relevant decision. Simultaneously, we will try to obtain a quota for coal imports from the Russian Federation, as was the case before. The plant can work, consuming either coal or gas, but coal is cheaper. Of course, the price of energy carriers matters. But it will not affect households in the region, as the tariffs will remain unchanged. We're doing our utmost to fix the situation," he wrote on Facebook.

The Luhansk TPP can get anthracite only from Russia. Anthracite supplies were suspended in the middle of October because DTEK's Obukhovskoe mine office (Rostov region, Russia) was not given quotas for coal shipments.

The Luhansk TPP has no direct rail services with other Ukrainian regions.