Transit of natural gas through the gas transmission system (GTS) of Ukraine in January-April 2021 amounted to 14.1 billion cubic meters, which is 9% less than in the same period in 2020 (15.5 billion cubic meters), according to the statement of Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine LLC (GTSOU).
In particular, 12.5 billion cubic meters of gas were supplied in the western direction as transit (8.4 billion cubic meters to Slovakia, 2.9 billion cubic meters to Hungary, 1.2 billion cubic meters to Poland), 1.7 billion cubic meters to the south (1.3 billion cubic meters to Moldova, and 0.4 billion cubic meters to Romania).
According to Commercial Director of the operator Yevhen Todorov, GTSOU put up for auction for the distribution of additional capacities at interstate entry points from the Russian Federation for May 2021. However, market participants, in particular the Russian side, did not show interest in the proposal.
“Taking into account the seasonal market demand for gas in the EU and limited transportation volumes, starting from April 1, 2021, the price at gas hubs has shown an increase and from the beginning of the year to May 12, it has increased by 36%, to EUR 26.4 per MWh at the NCG hub on condition of delivery one day ahead (about EUR 279 per 1,000 cubic meters),” he said.
In addition, gas transportation from Europe to Ukraine in January-April 2021 amounted to 0.55 billion cubic meters, which is seven times less than in the same period in 2020 (3.87 billion cubic meters). Ukraine received 0.07 billion cubic meters of gas from NCG, 0.48 billion cubic meters from Hungary, while almost no gas was delivered to the country from Poland, Romania and Moldova.
Gas supplies as virtual reverse flow to Ukraine amounted to 0.49 billion cubic meters, or almost 90% of transportation. Gas flow in the “customs warehouse” mode amounted to 0.08 billion cubic meters versus 1.22 billion cubic meters in the same period in 2020.
Gas re-export from Ukraine in the four months ended April 2021 amounted to 0.68 billion cubic meters, while for the whole last year traders almost did not order re-export services.
Solar energy producer TIU Canada has filed a statement seeking to disqualify three judges of Pivdenny economic court of appeals appointed to hear an illegal disconnection case against Nikopol Ferroalloy Plant (NFP).
“The challenge is intended to replace potentially biased judges with unbiased ones,” the company said in a press release circulated on Friday.
TIU Canada argued its distrust by the fact that judges Korsak, Popikova and Yevsikov, whose challenge the company is seeking, had previously ruled in favor of businessman Ihor Kolomoisky, who controls NFP, in the case against the state-owned PrivatBank, admitting that they would not be able to consider the case related to this enterprise without bias.
TIU Canada President Michael Yurkovich, quoted by the press service, finds it impossible to count on an impartial hearing when judges have a track record of ruling in favor of a U.S.-sanctioned oligarch.
As reported, the 10.5 MW solar power plant was disconnected from the power grid by NFP in March 2020. TIU Canada said that NFP took advantage of the fact that the SPP was connected to a substation located on its territory, and explained the need for disconnection by repair work. The shutdown caused the company in excess of EUR1.5 million losses, which continue to grow.
As a result, Ekotekhnik Nikopol LLC (TIU Canada) filed a claim against NFP with the Kyiv Economic Court. In the middle of February, the company said it would challenge a January 26 court ruling that rejected the company’s claims against NFP.
Decathlon Ukraine in June will open a store in the Riviera shopping center (Odesa) with an area of about 3,000 square meters, director general of the company Florent Guieu said in an interview with the Interfax-Ukraine agency.
“We are opening in the Riviera shopping and entertainment center in Odesa in June. There are about 3,000 square meters. Today it will be the largest store in the chain in Ukraine,” he said.
According to him, Decathlon Ukraine intends to open stores in all major cities. Locations in Lviv, Dnipro, Kharkiv, as well as two or three sites in the capital are being actively discussed. We are considering premises with an area of 2,000-3,000 square meters in locations with good transport links.
“Our requirements for the capital involve location not far from the metro. At the same time, we are extremely attentive to the quality of the project and the quality of the partner – our values must coincide,” Guieu explained.
According to him, at least two more Decathlon Ukraine stores will be opened next year. “But I will want to open all four. We also have many projects at the concept stage,” he added.
As of Friday, May 14, the Greek government did not make a decision on allowing Ukrainian citizens to enter the country for tourist purposes, the Ukrainian Embassy in Greece reported.
“As of May 14, 2021, the Greek government has not made a decision on the entry of Ukrainian citizens into Greece for tourist purposes!” the embassy said on its page on Friday.
The embassy informed that changes in the regime of entry of Ukrainian citizens to Greece will be immediately posted on the website and Facebook page of the Ukrainian Embassy in Greece.
As reported, in mid-April, the Greek authorities canceled the compulsory quarantine for travelers from the EU and the Schengen area. In addition, the quarantine was canceled for those entering from the UK, U.S., UAE, Serbia and Israel.
BASIC INDICATORS OF SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF UKRAINE
International consulting company Environmental Resources Management (ERM, the United Kingdom) will provide assistance to the Energy Ministry in the implementation of the program for the transformation of coal regions, the Energy Ministry said on its website on late Thursday. According to the report, ERM, which specializes in drafting sustainable development projects, presented a draft plan for a pilot project for the transformation of coal regions on May 13.
It is noted that in preparation for the project, British and Ukrainian specialists must determine the coal region where the pilot project will be implemented, conduct preliminary consultations with stakeholders and develop a transformation plan directly by late March 2022.
The program, which provides for drafting a project for a fair transformation of one of the coal regions of Ukraine, is funded by the British government, the Energy Ministry said.
As reported, in March this year, the Canadian mining company Black Iron, which is implementing a project to create a new iron ore project in Kryvy Rih (Dnipropetrovsk region), announced the involvement of Environmental Resources Management to conduct an environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA).
ERM was selected to lead this ESIA based on their highly regarded global reputation of expertise in this field that includes several successful projects also conducted in Ukraine.
ERM has over 140 offices globally with headquarter in London.
In the second half of March, the Energy Ministry, headed at that time by Yuriy Vitrenko, withdrew for revision the concept of reforming the coal industry, which envisages, in particular, the merger of promising mines with PJSC Centrenergo and subsequent privatization and liquidation of unprofitable enterprises.
