Ukrainian Gas Pipe - Among EU's Key Energy Infrastructure Projects

KYIV, Ukraine, October 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

A project involving Ukrainian gas transport system has made it to the list of 250 key energy infrastructure projects, adopted by the European Commission on October 14, 2013. The projects will receive funding of EUR 5.85 billion during 2014-2020. Financing these energy infrastructure projects would create most benefits to European consumers, according to EU Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger.

Ukrainian energy infrastructure project will involve the construction of a connecting Adamowo-Brody pipeline. It will extend for 371 kilometers joining the JSC Uktransnafta's Handling Site in Brody (Ukraine) and Adamowo Tank Farm (Poland). The pipeline's maximum technical capacity will reach 10, 20 and 30 million tonnes per year, respectively - "depending on the three consecutive stages of the project implementation."

The completion of the 250 projects will help the EU members "integrate their energy markets, enable them to diversify their energy sources and help bring an end to the energy isolation of some Member States," reads the europe.eu note. Moreover, the projects will "enable the energy grid to uptake increasing amounts of renewables," helping reduce CO2 emissions.

Ukraine is a major transporter of imported Russian gas to Europe. Its vast pipe network (nearly 40,000 kilometers long) allows the country to transport, store, and distribute gas to many European countries. Ukraine's pipelines go from Russia to Belarus, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia. Ukraine obtained its first gas pipe back in 1924. Its gas transport infrastructure has been developing rapidly ever since.

Ukrainian underground gas storage facilities constitute another subject of interest for the EU. "Ukraine is not just a transit country for the Russian gas, ... the country also has a potential to store gas," said Oettinger. "We are considering the possibility of storing 35 billion cubic meters of gas [in Ukraine], maybe 60," he added.

Presently, Ukraine possesses 13 underground gas storage facilities with total capacity of more than 31 billion cubic meters, reports epravda.com.ua.