Ukraine almost halves anthracite consumption in 2017 – Deputy PM

"In 2017, Ukraine consumed slightly more than half of anthracite coal compared to 2016. If in 2016 we burnt 8.9 million tonnes of anthracite, 4.8 million tonnes of scarce coal was consumed in the past year, according to rough estimates," he wrote on Facebook on January 16.

Read alsoUkraine significantly reduces consumption of scarce anthraciteAccording to the official, 2.3 million tonnes of anthracite was saved due to an increase in electricity generation at nuclear and hydroelectric power stations. Moreover, 1.8 million tonnes of anthracite was substituted by gas coal produced in Ukraine.

"We face an ambitious and challenging task of ensuring Ukraine's energy independence. And step by step, reducing the consumption of scarce anthracite, increasing the production of domestic natural gas, and reforming the country's energy sector, we are approaching this goal," he added.

UNIAN memo. Hostilities in the eastern regions of Ukraine have caused a significant shortage of coal, primarily that of thermal anthracite produced in militant-controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Energy companies began to transfer the thermal power plants' units from anthracite to gas coal. However, there has been a shortage of the latter since the output of gas coal did not keep pace with the growth of its consumption. To solve the problem, the companies signed contracts for coal imports from South Africa and the United States.

In November 2017, Ukraine reduced anthracite consumption by 34% to 532,000 tonnes. In the middle of December 2017, Kistion projected that the anthracite consumption in Ukraine might shrink to 5 million tonnes in 2017.