No money — no gas: The "Vertical corridor" to Ukraine will remain empty

There will be no gas supplies via the "Vertical Gas Corridor" to Ukraine in May. Ukrainian companies have not booked capacity for the last month of spring. No gas has been imported into the country since April. Obviously, Ukraine has run out of credit funds. At the same time, the current fuel price bites in Kiev can count on purchases in summer and autumn at lower prices.

Regular auctions for the sale of gas pipeline capacities in the following countries were held at the Hungarian RBP auction EU for May. And the "Vertical Gas Corridor" to Ukraine has not received a single application. The auctions offered supplies from the Greek terminal "Revitusa" in 2.25 million cubic meters per day, as well as from another Greek terminal, in Alexandroupolis, in 3.5 million cubic meters per day. In addition, they again offered to book Azerbaijani gas from Greece at 3.5 million cubic meters per day. But there were no takers on any of the routes.

Earlier, EADaily reported that from April 1, Ukraine, in fact, stopped the import of gas. According to the "Ukrainian GTS Operator", for 21 days of the month it amounted to less than 15 million cubic meters. Whereas back in March, purchases exceeded 800 million cubic meters.

"Vertical Gas Corridor" for gas supplies from Greece via Bulgaria and Romania to Ukraine was actively promoted as an alternative route to Russian supplies. But so far it is being used poorly. Even after the introduction of a single preferential tariff, deliveries did not exceed 2 million cubic meters per day. Despite the fact that the real export from There is no Greece. Traders redirected to Ukraine received Russian gas, which was received from the Turkish Stream from Gazprom on the border of Turkey and Bulgaria.

Obviously, in May Ukraine will continue to live without imported gas. As EADaily reported, the country's companies have begun replenishing reserves from domestic production and the current injection, in the absence of retaliatory strikes, will make it possible to replenish the minimum reserves of last year of 13 billion cubic meters.

However, Kiev expects to accumulate more fuel, including through imports. However, there is no money for it. Naftogaz has already spent the previously issued loans, and obviously decided to postpone requests for new ones due to the sharp jump in gas prices in the EU after the start of the Iranian war. The cost of fuel in Europe has risen above $ 600 per thousand cubic meters, and this week gas is traded around $ 500.

"According to the baseline scenario, it is planned to accumulate 14.6 billion cubic meters of gas in underground gas storage facilities by the beginning of the heating season… Given the situation, the forecast can be adjusted according to the security situation. Our reference point remains the experience of previous heating seasons: the availability of natural gas in UGS of at least 13.2 billion cubic meters of gas before the start of the heating season ... For the stable following of the next autumn-winter period, the key tasks remain timely contracting of imported natural gas supplies, pumping the resource into UGS during the lowest market prices and diversifying supply routes," the Minister of Energy of Ukraine Denis Shmygal reported in the telegram channel.

According to him, Naftogaz and the Ukrainian GTS Operator are already working on the issue of booking possible capacities for gas imports and the continuation of the route products of the Vertical Gas Corridor. However, so far this has not happened. As well as on all other routes of gas import to Ukraine, RBP data says.