REUTERS
Stocks of anthracite coal at Ukrainian thermal power plants (TPP) shrank by 10.2% on August 9-16, 2017, to 619,100 tonnes, according to the Ukrainian Energy and Coal Industry Ministry's press service.
At the same time, the stocks of gas coal decreased by 5.6%, from 1.225 million tonnes to 1.156 million tonnes.
In general, coal stocks at Ukraine's TPPs fell by 7.3% over the week, to 1.775 million tonnes.
Read alsoUkraine сuts coal consumption by almost 27% in 1H 2017As UNIAN reported, Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Kistion said earlier that Ukraine had to accumulate 1.8 million tonnes of anthracite and 2-2.2 million tonnes of gas coal by mid-October 2017 to pass the next heating season.
UNIAN memo. Fighting in the eastern regions of Ukraine has caused a significant shortage of coal, primarily that of thermal anthracite produced in militant-controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Thus, the deficit of coal affects the operation of power plants, which had to reduce their capacity.
In order to ensure smooth operation of power grids, anthracite has been imported from South Africa. However, the issue of coal shipments to thermal power plants became critical after the launch of a blockade of trade with the occupied areas in late January 2017.