The agreement between the Russian Gazprom and Hungary for the supply of gas bypassing Ukraine could create problems with the import and storage of gas in underground fuel storage facilities (UGS) in Ukraine, the Ukrainian Gas Transmission System Operator (OGSU) said.
According to OGSU, since the beginning of this year, the volume of gas transit in the direction of Hungary amounted to 6.9 billion cubic meters. m. This is 21.2% of all supplies through the territory of Ukraine. The volume of imports to Ukraine is estimated at 2.1 billion cubic meters. m, which is 90%. Thus, now it is this route that is most in demand for importing fuel to Ukraine, it is beneficial for both parties, the OGTSU summed up.
“However, without transit through Ukraine to Hungary and further to other countries, this mutually beneficial cooperation is questionable. And then both sides will suffer. The possibilities of importing from Hungary to Ukraine, storage of gas in Ukrainian UGS facilities by Hungarian companies will be significantly complicated without the presence of a physical flow in the direction of Ukraine-Hungary. That is, not only Ukraine will suffer losses, ”the operator’s statement was quoted by the UNN agency.
On September 27, Gazprom and Hungary signed a new long-term gas supply agreement. The agreement will enter into force on October 1 and will last until the end of 2036. As part of the deal, Gazprom will supply 4.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually to Hungary via two routes: 3.5 billion cubic meters through Serbia, 1 billion cubic meters through Austria , the head of the Hungarian Foreign Ministry Peter Siyarto noted earlier. The agreement provides for the possibility of changing the conditions after 10 years.
On the same day, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Ukraine announced plans to apply to the European Commission to assess the compliance of Gazprom’s agreement with the Hungarian side with European energy legislation. Kiev considered the signing of the contract “an exclusively political, economically unjustified decision taken to please the Kremlin and to the detriment of the national interests of Ukraine and Ukrainian-Hungarian relations.” Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov, commenting on the deal, said that “there are no taboo transit routes.”
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