“As of 24 January 2015 Ukraine will be able to further increase its gas imports from the European Union (EU) thanks to the increase of transport capacity from the current 31.5 million cubic meters (mcm) per day to approximately 40 mcm per day,” the statement read.
The move was hailed by the European Commission Vice-President for Energy Union, Maros Sefcovic, who stated that this is “an important step on the way to further connect Ukraine to the European Internal Energy Market.”
“The increase of gas transport from the European Union to Ukraine demonstrates our solidarity with our neighboring countries,” Sefcovic added, as quoted in the statement.
Commenting on the new developments, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk welcomed the readiness of Slovakia to increase reverse gas deliveries.
Ukrainian gas transmission operator Ukrtransgas issued a press release, explaining that the given 40 billion cubic meters of gas a day the country may receive only from Slovakia.
“I count on further steps to unlock the full 100 billion cubic meters (bcm) per year capacity of the interconnector between Ukraine and Slovakia,” Yatsenyuk said in the statement.
Ukraine is currently receiving gas from Slovakia, Hungary and Poland. Transport capacities from Slovakia are generally at full. Poland, can deliver up to 4 million cubic meters a day.
Gas supplies from Hungary were resumed on January 10 after an almost three-month stop and currently stand at some 3 million cubic meters a day.
A total of 5 billion cubic meters of gas flowed from the European Union to Ukraine in 2014, according to the European Commission.
