From September 28, 2022, the Moldovan GTS operator confirms nominations for natural gas transportation in the form of a virtual reverse (backhaul) at the Grebenniki junction, the GTS Operator of Ukraine said on Friday.
“OGTSU has been working with partners for a long time to implement this opportunity. The long-awaited implementation of the virtual reverse by Moldova opens the way for the transportation of natural gas along the Trans-Balkan corridor in both directions,” said Andrey Prokofiev, head of the department for work with customers of OGTSU services.
The potential capacity of the Trans-Balkan corridor is up to 20 billion cubic meters. m per year. The route opens up the possibility for customers to import gas from LNG terminals in Turkey and Greece.
“The Trans-Balkan Corridor opens up opportunities not only for Ukraine. Benefits through access to new gas markets open up for the countries of Central and Eastern Europe with the ability to store the resource in underground gas storage facilities in Ukraine,” added Olga Belkova, Director for Cooperation with Government Agencies and Organizations.
The GTS operator of Ukraine hopes for a legislative settlement of the possibility of transportation in the form of a backhaul on a long-term basis.
As reported, from August 1, 2022, the OGTSU increased the volume of the possibility of measuring natural gas at the Grebeniki junction (between Ukraine and Moldova) by 1.5 times – from 3.96 to 6.12 million cubic meters. m per day, thereby ensuring that Ukraine fulfills all the prerequisites for launching the Trans-Balkan corridor.
An increase in natural gas measurement volumes in the future opens up more opportunities for both Ukrainian and European traders. Namely, customers of the EU countries will be able to import gas via the Trans-Balkan corridor from LNG terminals in Greece and Turkey through the territory of Ukraine to Hungary, Slovakia, Poland.
