REUTERS
Stocks of anthracite coal at Ukrainian thermal power plants (TPP) shrank by 0.5% from August 28 to September 1, 2017, to 577,200 tonnes, according to the Ukrainian Energy and Coal Industry Ministry's press service.
At the same time, the stocks of gas-type coal decreased by 2.3%, from 1.122 million tonnes to 1.096 million tonnes.
Read alsoAnthracite stocks at Ukrainian TPPs shrink by 5% within weekIn general, coal stocks at Ukraine's TPPs fell by 1.7% over the week, to 1.673 million tonnes.
As 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.
Read alsoUkraine cuts coal consumption by almost 20% in JulyUNIAN 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.
In late July, one of largest energy-generating companies Centrenergo concluded a contract with the U.S.-based XCoal Energy & Resources on the supply of 700,000 tonnes of deficient anthracite coal by the end of the year. The first batch totalling 85,000 tonnes is already on its way to Ukraine and should arrive at the Yuzhny [Pivdenny] seaport in Odesa region early in September.