Ukraine Tests Gas 'Imports' from Slovakia

Ukraine has started tests of importing natural gas from Slovakia, its Minister of Energy said Wednesday.

Minister Eduard Stavytsky announced that the process, part of a strategy to reduce Ukraine's dependence on Russia for energy, had begun and would last about a week.

"We have started [gas imports]. We will perform test gas imports and exchange information within 7-10 days," he said in the capital, Kiev, reported by agencies.

Slovakia is the major corridor of gas supplies from Europe to Ukraine. State gas supplier Ukrtransgaz proposed that the Slovaks use one of the four existing gas pipelines to supply gas in reverse mode, which will provide gas receipts of up to 10 billion cubic meters (bcm)per year. The Ukrtransgaz experts are working with Eustream, its Slovakian equivalent, on the Interconnection Agreement.

 In April Ukraine imported 120.1 million cubic meters of natural gas from Europe. Poland pumped a record high volume of gas of 102 million cubic meters into the country's gas transportation system (GTS), which is 4.2 times higher than in March (24.3mcm). A protracted cold winter across Europe has caused high gas consumption for much longer in the year than normal.

In the same month, Hungary pumped 18.1 mcm. Gas imports through this country began on April 1.

See also: Ukraine to Boost Imports from Poland