Ukraine is ready to extend the transit of Russian gas through its gas transportation system (GTS) at the initiative of the European Union countries, but will not extend the current contract or sign a new one with Gazprom, Prime Minister Denis Shmygal said at a press conference in Kiev on Monday.
“We are certainly not going to negotiate with the aggressor country to extend (the transit contract) and put our signatures under the agreement, but we have had repeated talks with European leaders on the basis of the European Commission. If European countries will act as a consortium or one of the European partners will act as a transit company for its own gas, we are ready to provide such a service. Here the initiative is on the side of the EU and our European partners,” he said.
“Group, association, consortium… It could be the EC, a group of European countries that are interested in preserving transit,” Shmygal specified.
At the same time, according to the Prime Minister, the GTS of Ukraine is ready to function without the transit of Russian natural gas.
As reported, the transit of Russian natural gas through the gas transportation system (GTS) of Ukraine in 2023 decreased by 28.4% (by 5 billion 812.6 million cubic meters) compared to 2022 – to 14 billion 646.6 million cubic meters.
The contract between Naftohaz Ukrainy and Gazprom for the organization of transportation, the transportation agreement between NAK and OGTSU, as well as the inter-operator agreement between OGTSU and Gazprom were signed on December 30, 2019. The contract provides for transit of 40 billion cubic meters of gas per year in 2021-2024.
Transit of natural gas through the GTS of Ukraine in June 2022 amounted to 1.25 billion cubic meters. m, which is the minimum monthly volume since 1991.
According to the GTS Operator of Ukraine, the volume of transit for the last month is three times less than in June 2021 (3.72 billion cubic meters), and a quarter lower than in May 2022.
At the same time, Gazprom in June used only 38% of the booked capacity (3.29 billion cubic meters) under a long-term contract. “Combined with the restriction of transit through the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, this leads to a “drainage” of the EU gas market and an increase in prices. As a result of the manipulative actions of Gazprom, gas prices in Europe have increased by almost 42% since the beginning of June,” noted in OGTSU.
“Obviously, Russia continues to blackmail Europe with a reduction in gas supplies, which is why its exchange price today already exceeds $1,600. “with the redirection of flows through Ukraine and Poland,” added the head of the operator Sergei Makogon.
As reported, the transit of natural gas through the GTS of Ukraine in 2021 amounted to 41.6 billion cubic meters. m, which is 25.4% less than in 2020 (55.8 billion cubic meters). In general, the transit capacities of the Ukrainian GTS in 2021 were used by less than 30%.
On the Ukrainian gas transport corridor in 2021-2024. there is a mandatory “reservation” for “Gazprom” – 40 billion cubic meters. m (109.6 million cubic meters per day) after 65 billion cubic meters. m (178 million cubic meters/day) in 2020.
Transit of natural gas through the gas transmission system (GTS) of Ukraine in January-October 2021 amounted to 35.3 billion cubic meters, which is 21.6% less than in the same period of 2020 (45 billion cubic meters), and 56.7% less than in ten months of 2019 (81.5 billion cubic meters), according the Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine (GTSOU).
In particular, in the western direction 32.456 billion cubic meters of gas were supplied by transit (to Slovakia – 22.43 billion cubic meters, to Hungary – 6.799 billion cubic meters, to Poland – 3.227 billion cubic meters); in the south direction – 2.833 billion cubic meters were supplied (to Moldova – 2.439 billion cubic meters, and to Romania – 394 million cubic meters).
In October, transit amounted to 2.634 billion cubic meters, which is 19.1% less than in September due to the cessation of gas supplies to Hungary via the Ukrainian route by Gazprom. In particular, in the direction of Slovakia, transit amounted to 2.117 billion cubic meters, Poland – 342 million cubic meters, and Moldova – 176 million cubic meters.
The GTSOU notes that according to the results of booking the capacities of the Ukrainian GTS on the RBP and GSA platforms for October 2021, Gazprom not only did not book the additional transit capacities, but also significantly reduced the use of the booked annual capacities, since no applications for transit of Russian gas to Hungary were received from October 1.
As a result, the average daily volumes of Russian gas transported through the territory of Ukraine in October fell to 86 million cubic meters, which is below the minimum volume under the current transit agreement (110 million cubic meters).
“We are concerned about the reduction in transit of Russian gas through the Ukrainian route: since October 1, the volume of pumping has been lower than the booked capacity. Although since November 1, transit to Moldova has increased thanks to a new contract for the supply of gas from the Russian Federation, however, the overall use of the Ukrainian GTS capacity for transit of Russian gas continues to decline: on average, at the beginning of November, it was 60 million cubic meters per day,” GTSOU Director General Serhiy Makogon said.
Hungary is interested in the continuation of natural gas transit across Ukraine, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said.
“I don’t understand why not ship gas via the southeastern route [after the launch of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline]. Hungary views this matter from a strategic standpoint, because the absence of transit across Ukraine would cause damage to our country,” Szijjarto said at a press conference following negotiations with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Each country should make decisions on sources and routes of energy supply primarily based on its own national interests,” he said.
Transit of natural gas through the gas transmission system (GTS) of Ukraine in January-July 2021 amounted to 25.616 billion cubic meters, which is 14.1% less than in the same period in 2020 (29.82 billion cubic meters), according to the data of Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine (GTSOU).
In particular, in January, transit amounted to 3.863 billion cubic meters (124.6 million cubic meters per day), in February – 2.907 billion cubic meters (103.8 million cubic meters per day), in March – 3.694 billion cubic meters (119.2 million cubic meters per day), in April – 3.718 billion cubic meters (123.9 million cubic meters per day), in May – 3.86 billion cubic meters (124.5 million cubic meters per day), in June – 3.723 billion cubic meters (124.1 million cubic meters per day), in July – 3.851 billion cubic meters (124.2 million cubic meters per day).
According to the press service of the company, in particular, 23.3 billion cubic meters of gas were transported by transit in the western directions (Slovakia – 15.8 billion cubic meters, Hungary – 5.3 billion cubic meters, Poland – 2.2 billion cubic meters), in the south – 2.3 billion cubic meters (Moldova – 1.9 billion cubic meters, Romania – 400 million cubic meters).
GTSOU notes that in July Gazprom used all previously booked capacities, but showed no interest in additional transit capacities, despite the record growth in prices in European gas markets, as well as low volumes in European storage facilities and the planned stop of Yamal-Europe routes and Nord Stream 1.
According to GTSOU Director General Serhiy Makogon, Gazprom is emptying its UGS facilities in Europe in order to compensate Europeans for the lost gas volumes, and at the same time not to increase additional transit through Ukraine.
Federal Minister of Finance of the Federal Republic of Germany Olaf Scholz said that Germany will seek the extension of the agreement on gas transit through Ukraine.
“We work very hard to make sure that the gas transit agreement between Ukraine and Russia is prolonged,” Scholz said in an interview with Bloomberg on Friday.
According to the position of Germany, the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which runs along the bottom of the Baltic Sea, should be finished, but gas transit through Ukraine should be preserved.
According to Scholz, Germany sees its responsibility to ensure transit through Ukraine in the future, and not only for two or three years, but for decades to come.
The current agreement, according to Government Spokesperson Steffen Seibert, is valid until at least 2024, but the agreement implies that the parties will check the possibility of extending the agreement until 2034.
