Ukraine nearly doubles this year’s coal imports with the bulk of it coming from Russia
From January to October 2017, Ukraine increased its imports of hard coal and anthracite that is 1.8 times greater than the same period last year. According to data from the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine, the increase amounts to $2.15 billion worth of coal imports, UNIAN reports.
According to the statistics of the State Fiscal Service, the main supplier for this period was Russia with 55.7% or 1.2 billion dollars’ worth of coal. The second largest supplier of coal is the USA with 25.4% or 546.8 million dollars’ worth of coal, and the third largest is Australia with 5.4% or 116.4 million dollars’ worth. From other countries, Ukraine imported coal worth 289.8 million dollars.
The Fiscal Service also released the year’s current coal export figures. For the past ten months, Ukraine has exported 48.7 million dollars in coal and anthracite to Russia, 33 million dollars’ worth to Slovakia, 2.6 million dollars’ worth to Turkey and 3.9 million dollars’ worth to other countries.
Ukraine has faced a severe shortage of steam coal since the summer of 2014 when it completely lost control over part of the Donbas where most of the coal mines are located because of military operations in the region. The country immediately began importing coal at that point.
Last year, Ukraine reduced the cost of imports of hard coal and anthracite by 10% of 2015 figlaures, to 1.47 billion dollars. This year, two major power-generating companies that consume energy coal, DTEK and Centrenergo, contracted and established supplies of anthracite from South Africa and from the United States, respectively.