Russians can continue shelling production facilities – there will be no gas blackout. However, Ukrainians should help themselves: save not only electricity but also gas.
Fakty ICTV talked about this with the Executive Director of the Association of Gas Producers of Ukraine, Artem Petrenko, and the Director of the Energy Research Center, Oleksandr Kharchenko.
Gas is as necessary for Ukraine as electricity, and sometimes gas is electricity.
– A challenging winter season has started in Ukraine, and gas is a key element in keeping homes heated. In addition, gas is used in the energy sector to produce light and heat, including in Kyiv. The Russian occupiers’ attacks on gas production facilities are a continuation of their terror to destroy our energy system, – Petrenko said.
Despite the difficult year, Ukraine has pumped enough gas into storage facilities, but this week there was already an attack by Russia on a gas production facility. The Prime Minister confirmed this. What is the threat of this?
– Before the full-scale war, Ukraine was import-dependent; we consumed 27-30 billion cubic meters of gas annually and produced an average of 20 billion. About 10 billion had to be imported from the EU countries, and this gas was used for the economy’s needs and industry, commercial consumers. For the population’s needs, heating, water heating, electricity, and gas produced by state-owned companies were used.
After the full-scale invasion, gas consumption in Ukraine decreased significantly due to the destroyed industry and population migration. With the available gas reserves in the underground and the replenishment of UGS facilities in the coming months, we should get through the winter without significant complications. But the continuation of rocket attacks on gas production facilities will increase the risks of the heating season and lead to a decrease in gas production,” Petrenko stressed.
Therefore, after some time, if the attacks and destruction continue, Ukraine will be forced to import gas from the EU countries, which costs more there than in Ukraine. Today, gas at European hubs costs $1 200-1 300 per 1 000 cubic meters, and in Ukraine – $750-800 without VAT. And it is one thing when the tax money goes to the Ukrainian budget and another – if it goes abroad.
– Reduction of gas production will lead to an increase in import dependence and a decrease in taxes to the state and local budgets. And this is extremely bad in the current conditions. Petrenko emphasizes that gas produced in Ukraine strengthens our energy security and helps the economy.
In this context, household consumers will not feel any impact because now the price of gas for the population is fixed. And gas production companies continue to work and produce gas where it is physically possible. And these facilities should be protected as much as possible.
Another challenge may be the stoppage of gas transit from Russia through the Ukrainian GTS. As long as Russian gas goes through our territory to Europe, the occupiers are unlikely to shell gas pipelines and gas distribution stations. But when they completely stop their gas transportation, it can untie their hands even more.
– Since the beginning of spring, the Russians have greatly reduced the volume of gas supplies to Europe, particularly through the Ukrainian gas transportation system. A complete stop of transit will be an extraordinary situation for the Ukrainian GTS and will lead to a change in its operation mode. Our gas transportation system is large in size. It is designed as a single complex mechanism for transporting large volumes of natural gas from Siberia to Europe. At the same time, the GTS is flexible – even after the transit is stopped, both industry and the population will have gas,” the Association Executive Director assures.
However, we cannot exclude any aggressive actions on the part of Russia. After February 24, it became clear that the terrorist country could do anything. And even if the aggressor decides to strike at the main or distribution branches, the lack of gas will be temporary and not widespread.
Photo: Depositphotos
– It is impossible to predict the aggressor’s actions, just as it is impossible to know where the next missile will come from. But no matter how hard the Russians try to destroy Ukrainian gas production, they have not been able to do it for more than eight months of full-scale invasion and will not be able to do it in the future.
There will be no gas blackout in Ukraine; we have a well-developed gas transportation system. Of course, there will probably be interruptions if they attack on a targeted and large scale. But specialists will promptly respond to this, repair and restore gas supply, which is constantly happening in different regions, especially in the East of the country,” explained Petrenko.
Oleksandr Kharchenko also reassured about the stability of the gas transportation system and gave an example that even the damage suffered by the compressor station this week was repaired quickly.
– The technologies of gas transportation are still very different from electric networks. And even the strike that took place did not cause significant damage to gas transportation for the population. Moreover, its consequences were eliminated within just an hour. A few hours later, I talked to my colleagues who eliminated the consequences of this attack, and they said that they were able to quickly understand and solve the issue of gas transportation,” the expert said.
Kharchenko added that the main gas pipelines were built in Soviet times with the expectation, among other things, of military operations that the Soviet Union expected with the Western world. Therefore, a certain part of this infrastructure was protected during construction and designed to withstand hostilities without damage or at least without significant damage.
– In addition, gas is still not electricity; it can be accumulated and isolated, and it is possible to switch gas supply routes from pipe to pipe. Therefore, there are no significant threats in terms of gas infrastructure. Of course, in some individual moments, especially where we are talking about the frontline areas, where there are artillery attacks, where there are mines, where we have liberated the territories. All infrastructure facilities have been blown up in these territories; problems are possible, and there is much work for gas workers, Kharchenko stressed.
In general, the gas pumped into the storage facilities should be enough for the entire heating season, but this is in the case of predicted conditions.
– We have enough gas to go through the heating season. However, at the same time, it is sufficient, provided that everything develops more or less according to the standard scenario in terms of temperatures, the season, and the number of attacks. Because, of course, these attacks affect gas consumption in particular, and sometimes we have to turn on power plants that usually use coal, we have to use more gas to generate electricity at certain units, – the expert said.
We should also help consumers and the gas transmission system to get through this winter.
– Ukraine, in extremely difficult conditions, pumped more than 14 billion cubic meters of gas into underground storage facilities. With such reserves, we must get through the winter. At the same time, today, everyone must understand that both electricity and gas must be consumed very carefully. Not only Ukraine should save, but also Europe, which has decided to refuse Russian gas. I am confident that Ukraine will cope with this challenge. Having survived the winter, we will become even stronger, – Petrenko concluded.