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Ukraine enters winter heating season without sufficient coal stocks - media

Stocks of anthracites and semi-anthracites, which are used at half of 14 major Ukrainian thermal power stations have dropped by one fourth making slightly more than one third of million tonnes

KIEV, November 23. /TASS/. Ukrainian thermal power industry enters winter heating season without required coal stocks which had dwindled by around 15% at thermal power stations by early November, newspaper ZN.UA said on Saturday citing experts.

In particular, stocks of anthracites and semi-anthracites, also called as energy coals, which are used at half of 14 major Ukrainian thermal power stations “have dropped by one fourth making slightly more than one third of million tonnes that are much lower than required amounts,” the edition said.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko “was being talked into coal can be easily bought in the world,” the newspaper reported. But this was forgotten that not just coal, but anthracite, an extremely rare coal brand, was needed for Ukrainian thermal power stations, because its share in global coal reserves makes around one percent.

“Ukraine pinned some hopes on Vietnamese market which has abundant anthracite reserves,” the paper said, noting that “The country also had some hopes, because Ukrainian specialists are building two shafts at a Vietnamese coalmine. However, Vietnam did not have free coal resources. Moreover, Vietnam plans to import coal from Australia in the medium-term prospect and to reduce its coal export three or four times delivering it for domestic needs. Vietnamese coal export is already restricted by a high export duty.”

In coming winter Ukraine can actually pin hopes only on Australia among foreign countries producing anthracite, the paper said, noting that suppliers from the United States and Poland “almost do not have anthracite.”

In this connection, the newspaper noted Ukrainian major state-run electric power producer Centrenergo’s plans announced in mid-November that along with already supplied 250 thousand tonnes of South African coal the same amounts will be delivered before the end of the year and contracts were also concluded for delivery of 320 thousand tonnes of coal of “Ukrainian origin” and 509 thousand tonnes of Russian energy coal. The wording of “coal of Ukrainian origin” means coals from stocks in war-torn eastern Ukraine’s Lugansk region “with possible supplies via Russia,” the paper said.