Energy Security at Risk: Ukraine Struggles to Fill Winter Gas Reserves

To meet its target winter gas reserves, Ukraine must acquire up to 1 billion dollars’ worth of additional gas, securing enough supply to cover domestic demand amid continued attacks on its energy infrastructure.

The Gaze reports on it, referring to Reuters.

Ukraine is preparing for its fourth winter since Russia's full-scale invasion began, striving to ensure a stable gas supply for the heating season.

Due to almost daily attacks on the country's energy infrastructure, domestic gas production has declined significantly. Currently, Ukraine's gas reserves are at about 80-90% of what's needed for the winter, according to various estimates; that's 11-12 billion cubic meters out of the planned 13.2 billion cubic meters.

Ukraine may be forced to revise its gas storage targets due to the risk of further attacks on energy infrastructure.

To reach the required level, the country will have to secure an additional 1–2 billion cubic meters of gas through domestic production or imports, which will cost approximately $500 million–$1 billion.

Last winter, gas shortages and infrastructure damage caused power outages lasting up to 18 hours a day, underscoring the importance of building up sufficient reserves.

"It brought the country to the brink of a gas blackout," said Serhiy Makogon, former head of the Ukrainian gas transmission system.

As a result of Russian attacks, domestic gas production has fallen by approximately 0.5 billion cubic meters, and experts believe that reserves should be increased to 14 billion cubic meters to ensure stability during the winter.

Ukraine has already accumulated about 12–12.8 billion cubic meters of gas, but this is not enough to ensure complete security in the face of potential attacks on energy infrastructure.

Gas imports are becoming a key element of the country's energy strategy. Supplies via Poland are increasing, and there are also plans to import American liquefied gas via Germany, Greece, Lithuania, and Poland.

Ukraine has the largest underground gas storage facilities in Europe, but the volume of gas stored by Western companies has fallen to zero due to increased attacks, making imports a more reliable way to ensure energy security.

As The Gaze informed earlier, the European Commission is allocating an additional €40 million in humanitarian aid to help Ukraine prepare for winter and protect civilians from extreme cold.