Photo from UNIAN
Ukraine expects to receive financial assistance from international financial institutions by September to purchase natural gas and pump it into underground storage facilities (USFs), Ukrainian Energy and Coal Industry Minister Volodymyr Demchyshyn said in an interview to Ukrainian TV Channel 5 on July 19.
The final agreement on funds allocation has not yet been reached, Demchyshyn said.
Additionally, the minister said that currently, the USFs are filled with up to 30 mcm of gas, which will allow to get under 15 bcm of gas before the start of the heating season. He recalled that last year, the USFs held 16.5 bcm of gas at the beginning of the heating season, with 7 bcm remaining by its end.
"Given similar temperature ranges as last year, 15 bcm will be just enough, but we understand that we need to prepare properly for a heating season," Demchyshyn said.
As UNIAN reported earlier, Chief of Naftogaz of Ukraine NJSC Andriy Kobolev stated that Ukraine needed about $1.5 billion to secure necessary gas reserves in its USFs for the next heating season.
On July 1, Ukraine suspended gas imports from Russia and significantly reduced its purchases from the EU.
On July 8, the energy minister stated that negotiations with the donors regarding loan funds mobilization for gas purchases had not brought any tangible results.
At the same time, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) pledged to allocate approximately $300 million to support Ukraine in arranging gas supplies from the European Union.
On July 16, Demchyshyn reported that the International Finance Corporation was considering the allocation of loan funds to traders to buy, store natural gas in the USFs and further sell it on the Ukrainian market.