The Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine (GTSOU) refuted claims regarding the lack of capacity on the part of Ukraine to increase the volume of gas transit to Moldova.
The GTSOU provided an official confirmation to the request of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Development of Moldova about the available gas transit capacity to Moldova via Ukraine.
The inquiry from the Moldovan government verified the claim that Gazprom reduced the volume of gas supplies by 30 per cent, allegedly due to the lack of necessary capacities in the Ukrainian gas transmission system. Now, the GTSOU is assuring that the capacity for gas transit through the Ukrainian GTS, both at the entry point to Ukraine and the exit point from Ukraine to Moldova, significantly exceeds the volumes pumped by Gazprom.
“High-capacity and extensive Ukrainian gas transportation system provides all the possibilities to increase the volume of supplies to Moldova,” said Olga Bielkova, Director of Government and International Affairs at Gas TSO of Ukraine. “But Gazprom does not have the political will to do this. And any attempts to shift the blame to the alleged technical inadequacy of the GTS is a manipulation that is easily refuted by the technical data.”
“Once again, Russia demonstrates its unreliability as a gas supplier, driven by geopolitical ambitions,” Ms Bielkova added. “For its part, understanding the complexity of the situation in the energy sector, Ukraine is ready to remain a reliable transit partner for Moldova, providing the necessary capacity for gas supplies to the country and the gas storage in Ukrainian gas storage facilities.”
At the entry point to Ukraine – Sudzha, in September, the volume of booked capacity was 77.2 million cubic metres (mcm) per day and in October – 72 million cubic metres per day. It is used by only 50-55 per cent; that is, the increase in transit to Moldova could occur through these already paid-for but unused capacities. Gas TSO of Ukraine has also provided an additional opportunity to book 15 mcm of gas transit capacity monthly and 52.6 mcm daily at the entry point Sudzha at the auctions.
At the same time, the capacity booked in September-October at the exit points from Ukraine to Moldova is only 5.7 mcm per day (1.2 – at the exit point Oleksiivka and 4.5 mcm per day at the exit point Grebenyky). The possibility of booking additional capacities at exit points offered by GTSOU at auctions was not used either, namely: at IP Grebenyky – 22.5 mcm per day of firm capacity monthly and 25.5 mcm per day of interruptible capacity daily; at IP Oleksiivka – 5.91 mcm per day of firm capacity every month and 6.7 mcm per day of interruptible capacity daily.
Thus, according to GTSOU, there are no technical barriers to increasing the volume of gas transportation to Moldova. The capacity of the Ukrainian gas transportation system allows increasing the current volumes of transit to Moldova by at least ten times.
Earlier this month, GTSOU confirmed that Ukraine is ready to transport the gas required by Moldova, after Russia’s announcement to reduce the transit quantities from the contractual quantity of 8.1 mcm per day to 5.7 mcm/d as of 1 October 2022.
