KIEV, September 02. /ITAR-TASS/. Ukraine has launched reverse-flow gas deliveries from Slovakia, the head of Ukraine’s national energy company Naftogaz, Andriy Kobolev, posted on his Facebook page on Tuesday. “A lot is in store yet, but this is a major step,” he said.
ITAR-TASS reported earlier that on April 28, 2014 Ukraine’s Ukrtransgaz and Slovakian gas operator Eustream signed a memorandum on mutual understanding to ensure reverse-flow gas deliveries to Ukraine through the Vojany-Uzhgorod pipeline. The pipeline’s capacity is no more than 27 million cubic meters of gas a day or 10 billion cubic meters a year.
Naftogaz of Ukraine has reserved these capacities for reverse-flow gas supplies from Slovakia until the end of 2019. “Supplies will begin on a regular basis in September, subject to certain technical conditions, and will become permanent from March 2015,” Eustream spokesperson Vahram Chuguryan said earlier.
Test reverse-flow gas supplies from Slovakia to Ukraine began on August 16 with daily amounts up to two billion cubic meters. Then it became known that testing of Vojany-Uzhgorod would continue till the end of August.
Eustream will invest in the renovation of the Vojany-Uzhgorod pipeline an estimated €21 million.
The gas pipeline was built in the town of Vojany in the east of Slovakia for the local power plant but was never put into operation.
In June, Ukraine asked the European Union to supply up to 30 billion cubic meters of gas a year using a reverse-flow mechanism. Ukraine has been receiving gas from Poland since April 15 and from Hungary since May 20.