Naftogaz of Ukraine is negotiating gas storage deals with Germany’s RWE, Norway’s Equinor, France’s TotalEnergies and Engie, the group’s CEO Oleksiy Chernyshov told Bloomberg.
According to him, there is still time to conclude agreements, as the largest volumes of gas injection usually occur in August and September.
Chernyshov also clarified that so far no foreign company that already stores gas in Ukraine has abandoned its decisions, despite the recent Russian attacks on gas infrastructure.
The company continues to serve customers and repair equipment damaged by recent rocket attacks.
The Head of the NJSC reminded that the state energy regulator has recently improved the conditions for gas storage from June 1, 2024. The new rules include shorter booking intervals for capacity – for months rather than for a whole year, which improves the attractiveness of Ukrainian storage facilities for foreign traders.
As reported, in 2023, the volume of gas from foreign traders and energy companies pumped into Ukrainian UGS facilities for storage reached 2.5 bcm. This year, Naftogaz expects to increase this figure to 4 bcm.
Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Ihor Zhovkva had a conversation with Diplomatic Advisor to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Portugal, Georges Monteiro, via video link, the press service of the President of Ukraine reported on Tuesday.
Ihor Zhovkva thanked Jorge Monteiro for Portugal’s continued support of our country’s fight against Russian aggression.
“We appreciate Portugal’s practical participation in the tank, aviation and maritime coalitions. It is important that the volume and pace of military support continue to increase,” Ihor Zhovkva emphasized.
In the course of the conversation, the Deputy Head of the Presidential Office informed Georges Monteiro on the situation at the frontline and urgent military needs of Ukraine.
The interlocutors agreed to start negotiations on the conclusion of a bilateral security agreement in pursuance of the joint declaration of the Group of Seven on the support of Ukraine in the nearest future.
Particular attention was paid to Portugal’s support for the Ukrainian peace formula, as well as Ukraine’s European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations. George Monteiro noted Ukraine’s progress in implementing reforms necessary for its future membership in the EU and NATO.
As reported earlier, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister of Portugal Luis Montenegro instructed to start working on the preparation of a security agreement.
Quotes of interbank currency market of Ukraine (UAH for 1 pln, in 01.01.2024-31.01.2024)
Source: Open4Business.com.ua and experts.news
The Energy Support Fund has managed to raise over EUR410m from 13 partner countries and international organizations as of April 9.
“The remaining amount is the announced contributions, which will soon be transferred by the sponsors,” the Ukrainian Energy Ministry said on Tuesday.
As the ministry noted, the special trust of partners has been secured thanks to the system of transparent distribution of funds. In particular, the Ministry of Energy has a working group on humanitarian aid, which considers requests from Ukrainian energy companies to purchase the necessary aid with the Fund’s resources.
The Fund financed the most urgent needs of Ukrainian energy companies, in particular, the purchase of generators, power transformers, circuit breakers, spare parts, technical means, materials, special equipment, fuel, means of physical protection of energy facilities.
“Most of all funds are distributed to meet the urgent needs of energy companies from frontline regions – Kharkiv, Mykolayiv, Sumy, Zaporizhzhya, Kherson, Odessa,” the Ministry of Energy said.
State-owned Ukreximbank (Kiev) is selling a complex of buildings and structures, as well as a land plot in Kiev region through the OpenMarket electronic bidding system (SE “SETAM” of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine), according to a press release of SETAM.
The starting price of the lot is 108 million 412 thousand 224 UAH. The auction is scheduled for April 17. The guarantee fee for participation in the auction is UAH 10.841 mln.
The press release notes that Ukreximbank is selling the car plant, but does not specify the name, but judging by the address of location in Boryspil and the attached photos, it is PJSC “Boryspil Automobile Plant” (“BAZ”) of the corporation “Etalon”.
The total area of the sold lot is 18.67 thousand square meters, including the main production building (7679.9 square meters) and production building (644.8 square meters); administrative and utility building with canteen (3 213.6 square meters); spare parts warehouse (4016.6 square meters) and other buildings.
The land plot has an area of 7.5205 hectares. Target purpose: for placement and operation of main auxiliary and auxiliary buildings and structures of processing, machine-building and other industries.
In the press release it is noted that the buildings and structures are in exploitable technical condition. The facility is fully operational as a production and warehouse complex with an administrative part. Its territory is fenced and guarded.
Borispol Motor Plant was established in 2002, where the corporation “Etalon” organized the production of small class buses. Currently, buses of various classes and trolleybuses are produced at the corporation’s Chernihiv auto plant.
According to the register of court decisions, in January 2023 PJSC BAZ was recognized bankrupt and liquidation procedure was opened.
According to the data of the National Commission on Securities and Stock Market for the third quarter of 2023, Bodmin AG (registered in Switzerland) owns 74.37% of BAZ shares, another 22.81% belongs to Kirayn LLC (Kiev).
Oil prices will range between $80 and $100 a barrel this year, with global oil demand rising by 1.9 million bpd, according to Russell Hardy, chief executive of international trader Vitol.
“That seems like a reasonable range for the market given that OPEC is controlling global inventory levels,” he said during a conference in Lausanne. – Supply in the market is really tight.”
Brent crude futures topped $90 a barrel last week amid geopolitical risks and signs of strong demand.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) forecast global oil demand growth of 1.4 million bpd this year, 500,000 less than the forecast of Vitol’s head.
Fuel demand in China will continue to grow, Hardy expects, but the peak will come “relatively soon”.