Ukraine offers gas storage to EU partners
KIEV. February 29. KAZINFORM Ukraine's state-run Naftogaz has suggested its European Union (EU) partners use its gas storage facilities to increase energy security in the region, Xinhua said.
Naftogaz deputy board chairman Vadim Chuprun said here Tuesday some European companies had already expressed "a great interest" in the proposal.
"Today, we are holding negotiations with one company from Germany that has taken an interest in this case and has proposed its terms," Chuprun said during a Ukrainian energy forum.
Currently, Ukraine had 13 storage facilities with maximum capacity of 250 million cubic meters of gas per day, Chuprun said.
The total capacity of Ukraine's underground gas storage amounted to nearly 31 billion cubic meters, almost as much as the total EU storage capacity, he said.
Chuprun said 10 billion cubic meters of Ukraine's gas storage was under-used this season.
However, the lack of sufficient gas storage facilities in the EU became evident during the cold snap in February, when the amount of Russian gas deliveries to some European countries fell 30 percent.
Russia accused Ukraine of stealing gas bound for European consumers, but Ukraine rejected the accusations.