Ukraine to jointly buy gas with European Union countries
BRUSSELS, March 9 (Reuters) - Ukraine will take part in the European Union scheme to jointly buy gas in global markets, to procure 2 billion cubic metres of the fuel ahead of next winter, the EU energy policy chief said on Thursday.
EU countries plan to pool demand and sign their first joint gas contracts in the coming months, to help fill storage caverns ahead of peak winter demand as Europe replaces Russian gas.
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"Ukraine has indicated that on top of their own domestic production, they might need, for a secure winter, another 2 billion cubic metres," EU energy commissioner Kadri Simson told a news conference on Thursday.
European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic, who leads the EU's joint gas-buying, held a video call with international gas suppliers on Wednesday.
Sefcovic said Europe was on track to expand its capacity to regasify liquefied natural gas to 227 billion cubic metres by 2024, up from 178 bcm now, as countries swap Russian gas for other supplies.
Participating in the EU scheme could help Ukraine to stave off gas shortages. Of the 27.3 bcm of gas Ukraine used in 2021, domestic production accounted for about 19.8 bcm, imports were 2.6 bcm and 4.9 bcm of gas was taken from underground storage.
Initial estimates from state-owned energy firm Naftogaz suggest Ukrainian gas production was around 18 bcm in 2022.
Ukraine uses little gas to produce electricity, but relies on the fuel for heating and industry - sectors vulnerable should Russian strikes damage infrastructure.
Ukraine does not import gas directly from Russia, but Ukrainian pipelines still carry some Russian gas to Europe.
Russia has bombarded Ukraine's energy infrastructure in recent months, and on Thursday launched missile strikes across Ukraine, killing at least six civilians and forcing a nuclear power plant off the grid.
Kadri Simson said she would convene an emergency video call with Ukraine and EU energy ministers on Thursday to discuss the situation at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe's largest, after Kyiv said Russian attacks had severed the plant from the power grid and forced it onto emergency diesel power. (Reporting by Kate Abnett, additional reporting by Pavel Polityuk; editing by Barbara Lewis)