Slovakia-Ukraine Interconnector Allows Reverse Flow

The pipeline that enabled Ukraine to buy gas from the west, the Eustream-operated interconnector at Budince, is now able to carry gas from Ukraine westwards, Eustream said April 4.

Reverse flow is becoming a standard feature of a liberalised gas market even if the economics of such reconfiguring do not always seem obvious.

The entry capacity is set on a firm basis of 19mn m³/day, or about 7bn m³/yr – much less than what may flow on a forward basis – but more may be offered to the market on an interruptible basis each month, Eustream said.

The major pipelines that bring Russian gas westwards across Slovakia were never pressed into reverse flow, because Gazprom's long-term contract for transportation did not allow it. Ukraine alleges that Gazprom has refused to hand over the data needed by the two pipeline operators. To get round this problem the Bundince pipeline, which was not covered by Gazprom contracts, was recommissioned.