GTSOU restricts gas exports to Poland

The Gas TSO of Ukraine LLC (GTSOU) has restricted gas exports to Poland in recent days, as reported to ExPro by several gas traders. On January 9-10, 2020, the GTSOU confirmed only 60% of capacity bookings in the Ukraine-Poland gas interconnection. That is, the restriction is about 40%.

In total, according to the GTSOU, during the first 10 days of January 2021, there were about 120 mcm of natural gas supplied to Poland through Ukraine-Poland gas interconnection, of which more than 110 mcm were supplied by Gazprom.

Due to the aggressive policy of Gazprom, which is buying up GTSOU's free interstate gas interconnector capacity at the Drozdovichi gas interconnection point on the Ukraine-Poland border, European traders have faced the problem of gas exports.

"In summer of 2020, we pumped gas into Ukrainian underground gas storages (UGS) to export gas to Europe in the winter 2020/2021. However, today we cannot do this fully due to the GTSOU restrictions, threatening implementation of our gas supply contracts in Europe. Who will compensate the losses of traders? ” said a representative of one of European gas companies. A representative of other gas trading company assumes that Gazprom is deliberately blocking gas exports from Ukraine to Poland.

"Gazprom has the opportunity to supply gas to Poland via Belarus through the Yamal-Europe gas pipeline, but they have decided to buy capacity in the Ukraine-Poland interstate gas interconnector, thus blocking gas exports from Ukraine. It is unknown how long this will last and what the GTSOU’s agenda on that. Of course, this discredits Ukraine, and undermines the trust of Europeans," the trader said.

Instead, the GTSOU’s interlocutor to ExPro said, "… this is not a problem, just a mere prevail of gas interconnector bookings over the maximum its capacity. There are more booking applications than technical capabilities, but we transmit all desired gas volumes at our maximum." The GTSOU is holding auctions of daily gas interconnector capacities, with everything left given to short-hauls. Currently, the Ukrainian UGS facilities contain 23 bcm of natural gas, of which 8.6 bcm are stored in customs bonded warehouse regime, with the latter volume mainly exported to Europe.

According to ExPro, gas exports from Ukraine to Poland in January 2021 are done by 4 companies, including Gunvor (Switzerland), Onico Energia (Poland), Energy Gate (Poland), and Prometheus Energy (Slovakia). Other active exporters in the Polish direction are: PGNiG (Poland), ENOI (Italy), and Nitrofer (Austria).

Daily Natural Gas Export from Ukraine to Poland in 2020 - Jan 2021, mcm