Coal stocks at Ukrainian thermal power plants (TPP) increased by 0.7% on December 20-27, to 1.773 million tons, according to the Ukrainian Energy and Coal Industry Ministry’s press service.
At the same time, anthracite reserves grew by 6%, from 706,000 tons to 664,900 tons, it said. Meanwhile, gas grade coal stocks shrank by 2.6%, from 1.096 million tons to 1.067 million tons.
Hostilities in the eastern regions of Ukraine have caused a significant shortage of coal, primarily that of thermal anthracite group produced in militant-controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The energy companies began switching the thermal power plants’ units from anthracite to gas coal feeding. However, there has been a shortage of the latter since the output of gas coal did not keep pace with its consumption growth. To solve the problem, the companies signed contracts for coal imports from South Africa and the United States. (UNIAN/Business World Magazine)