From August 1, 2022, the Gas TSO of Ukraine will increase the volume of natural gas measurement at the Grebeniki point (between Ukraine and Moldova) from 3.96 million cubic meters per day up to 6.12 million cubic meters per day. In addition, by the end of August, the measurement volumes will be increased to 20 million cubic meters per day. Thus, Ukraine, for its part, fulfilled all the prerequisites for transporting gas through the Trans-Balkan corridor.
An increase in natural gas measurement volumes in the future opens up more opportunities for both Ukrainian and European traders. EU customers will be able to import gas from LNG terminals in Greece and Turkey via the Trans-Balkan corridor through Ukraine to Hungary, Slovakia, and Poland. Diversification of sources and routes of gas supplies will help strengthen the energy security of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.
Our colleagues from Romania and Moldova will also benefit from the increase in capacity by the Gas TSO of Ukraine, in particular:
- access to new markets;
- large volumes of gas in the system.
The increase in the capacity of this gas pipeline can be up to 20 billion cubic meters. m per year. It is worth noting that to use the Trans-Balkan route, it is extremely important that the Bulgarian and Turkish operators sign an Interconnection Agreement, and Moldova introduces the possibility of implementing a virtual reverse of natural gas, provided for by European legislation. For transportation on this route, customers must book capacity from south to north at connection points between Turkey and Bulgaria (or Greece and Bulgaria depending on which LNG terminal will be imported from), Bulgaria and Romania, Ukraine and Romania, as well as Moldova and Ukraine.
Azerbaijan, which is also interested in expanding exports to the region, can become another potential source of gas supplies through the Trans-Balkan corridor.
“We hope that our international partners will also take retaliatory steps to launch the Trans-Balkan direction as soon as possible. It will help speed up the refusal of European countries from russian gas, which will strengthen the energy situation in the region. During the year, the Gas TSO of Ukraine doubled the opportunities for gas imports to Ukraine from the EU countries – from 27 million cubic meters per day up to 54 million cubic meters per day. We continue to work on diversifying sources and opening new routes”, – says Sergiy Makogon, CEO of GTSOU.