Ukraine and Poland plan to create an Eastern European gas hub that will provide the region with gas from sources independent of Russia. About this reported press service of the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine.
Deputy Minister of Energy Mykola Kolisnyk noted that the completion of transit of Russian gas will be an incentive for the development of alternative routes and resources. In particular, this applies to liquefied natural gas (LNG), which plays an increasingly important role in the overall energy balance of the EU.
“The integration of gas markets on the basis of the existing infrastructure, the increase of available interstate capacity give an impetus to the development of trade and the opportunity to replace Russian gas with an independent molecule”, – emphasized the official.
According to Kolisnyk, the combination of Ukrainian underground gas storages and Polish LNG terminals can create a new business model that will replace the traditional Russian transit. In this way, the integration of gas markets on the basis of the already existing infrastructure and the expansion of interstate throughput will contribute to the development of trade and the complete substitution of Russian gas.
Ukraine has already turned to Polish partners with a proposal to sign agreements for the development of interstate entry-exit points of the gas transportation system, as well as for increasing its capacities. The Ministry of Energy emphasizes that the goal is to create a business mechanism similar to the American model. This will allow Ukraine and Poland to store the necessary amount of gas for the entire region.
