First wagons with South African coal will be dispatched to Trypilska thermal power plant soon / Photo from Energy Ministry's Facebook page
The Ukrainian Energy and Coal Industry Ministry reports that 168,000 tonnes of anthracite coal from South Africa has arrived at the Ukrainian-based port of Yuzhny.
"Last night the Bulk China dry-cargo ship with 168,000 tonnes of anthracite coal on board arrived at the Ukrainian port of Yuzhny," the ministry wrote on Facebook on Sunday.
This is a third ship that has arrived in Ukraine under contracts prepared at the request of Energy and Coal Industry Minister Volodymyr Demchyshyn with the aim to diversify anthracite shipments," the ministry wrote.
The unloading of the ship has already begun, and first wagons with that coal will be dispatched to Trypilska thermal power plant as early as this week.
The quality control is monitored by the international company SGS, which has already collected samples at the destination port, the ministry added.
The next load of anthracite is expected in Ukraine on December 12, two more ships are arriving in January 2016.
Вчора ввечері в український порт "Південний" зайшов суховантажний корабель Bulk China з 168 тис. тон антрацитного вугілл...
Posted by Міністерство енергетики та вугільної промисловості України on 6 декабря 2015 г.
As was reported earlier, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk announced on December 4 that the deficit of coal in Ukraine by the end of the year was estimated at 1.5 million tonnes. The energy ministry in turn reported that 250,000 tonnes from South Africa would arrive in Ukraine in December 2015.
Ukraine started importing anthracite coal in 2014 as the Ukrainian coal mines that produce that type of coal are now located in temporarily occupied territory in the country's east.