Ukraine`s Energy Minister Ihor Nasalyk says Ukraine can do without any coal supplies from the Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) zone if it increases consumption of gas coal instead of deficit grade of anthracite coal, of which the reserves are located mainly in the occupied territory of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
Further, the minister pointed to the necessity to increase nuclear power plants` capacity and operate gas-and-oil power units.
”Thanks to the diversification of coal supplies and reorientation of some TPP units toward using coal of gas grades instead of anthracite coal, as well as due to the fact that we have increased generation capacity of nuclear power plants (by 1.1 billion kWh above the target) … also if we may have to launch operations of gas-and-oil power units, we can do without any coal supplies from the ATO zone,” Nasalyk said during round table discussions devoted to energy issues.
As UNIAN reported, Ukraine faced a deficit of coal in summer 2014 when it lost control of Donbas where most of coal mines producing anthracite are located. In 2015, Ukraine imported bituminous coal and anthracite to the tune of $1.632 billion. The largest coal shipments last year arrived from Russia, the United States, and Kazakhstan.
