On July 3rd (Moscow time), according to TASS, Ukraine has now accumulated about 7 billion m3 of gas in reserves, only half of the minimum level of 13.2 billion m3 needed to ensure demand in this winter.
Calculations based on data from the Ukrainian Ministry of Energy show that the progress of fuel supply is significantly slower than planned.
In the context of continuously rising gas prices in Europe and European Union (EU) countries also increasing stockpiling for the cold season, Kiev is facing increasing supply competition pressure.
Not only is there a gas shortage, Ukraine's thermal coal reserves currently only reach about 2.2 million tons. According to experts, this reserve level is only enough to meet consumption demand in the summer and autumn, before entering the highest energy use stage of the year.
The addition of gas and coal is facing many obstacles due to rising energy prices in the European market. Many EU countries are also currently facing difficulties in filling their stockpiles before winter, causing fuel import demand to continue to increase sharply.
Besides the fuel issue, the capacity of the Ukrainian power system has not been fully restored. Although the country's government has made efforts to repair infrastructure and develop a scattered power grid, the total current capacity is only about 11-12 GW.
This figure is significantly lower than the 18-19 GW demand forecast for winter. The large gap between electricity supply and demand continues to pose a challenge to the energy security of this Eastern European nation.
Even in the summer, Ukraine faced a power shortage of 1-2 GW due to prolonged heat waves increasing demand for air conditioners and cooling equipment. This shows that the current power system is still very vulnerable to weather fluctuations and consumption demand.
Observers believe that if the rate of gas and coal storage is not improved in the coming months, Ukraine may face many difficulties in ensuring energy supplies for its people and production activities when winter begins.
