Gas reserves in Ukrainian underground storage facilities are currently filled to only 32.3%, which is the lowest level in the last 12 years. This was reported by the analytical company ExPro.
According to the Ministry of Energy, as of August 5, Ukraine stores 10 billion cubic meters of gas, while a minimum of 13 billion cubic meters is needed to pass through the heating season.
Over the past 19 days, only 1 billion cubic meters of gas have been supplied to storage facilities. The volumes of reserves have decreased by 9% compared to the same period last year.
Last winter, Ukraine had to actively withdraw gas from underground storages and increase imports from abroad due to missile strikes on energy infrastructure in the eastern regions. In particular, the Minister of Energy stated that the country plans to import no less than 4.6 billion cubic meters of gas for the current season.
Recently, Ukrainians were informed about the condition of the energy system and possible risks of new outages.
The message that gas reserves in Ukraine have reached a minimal level over the past 12 years indicates a serious problem the country may face in the coming months when the heating season begins. Low gas reserves could lead to increased imports and negatively affect the country’s energy security.