Iran Energy News Oil, Gas, Petrochemical and Energy Field Specialized Channel
Related Articles
Poland will transport 6 to 8 billion cubic meters of American liquefied natural gas (LNG) per year to Ukraine in a deal that will help reduce Ukraine’s dependence on Russian gas.
The deal should begin delivering the required natural gas in two to three years but much depends on the swift construction and extension of infrastructure on the Polish side. The current network permits the transmission of up to 2 billion cubic meters of gas, far short of what Ukraine needs.
The Ukrainian deputy minister of energy and environment, Konstantyn Czyzhyk, announced that Poland has signed the letter of intent between Ukraine and the American company Louisiana Exports Inc.
Ukraine wants to sign a long-term gas transmission contract with the United States. Ukraine, like Poland, wants to ensure energy security for itself.
Oleksiy Orzhel, the Ukrainian minister of energy and environment, believed that owing to the deal with the U.S., Ukraine’s position in resource negotiations with Russia will improve.
“When we will be negotiating the transit of the Russian resource with Russia, we will have an alternative supply from a country which is attempting to increase its participation in the European market and the global gas market in general,” Orzhel said.
The American gas will be supplied to the LNG terminal in Świnoujście in Poland, and later and sent through Polish pipelines to the Ukrainian border.
The terminal in Świnoujście is being expanded to increase its regasification power from 5 billion cubic meters to 10 billion.
Energy journalist Jakub Wiech, of energetyka24.com, claimed that so far, Berlin played a key role in Kiev’s foreign and energy policy.
He explained that the interest in American gas is a clear signal from Ukrainians who emphasize that they are increasingly turning towards Washington.
“Berlin has failed Ukraine many times and in issues which were key to the security of their state,” Wiech added.
The import of gas to Ukraine has been possible since the beginning of 2020. Earlier, it was impossible to carry it out due to Ukraine’s gas agreement with Russia’s state-owned Gazprom.
Since November 2015, Ukraine does not import gas from Russia. It purchases it on the free market in Western Europe and imports it through Poland.
