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cubic metres per day capacity booked by Gazprom. The long-term contract concluded for 2020-2024 on the terms of "send or pay" stipulates that Russia must pay for the entire reserved volume - in 2023, this amounts to 40 billion cubic metres.
European interest in Ukrainian gas storage is growing. The operator of GTS of Ukraine (OGTSU) explained that the gas price at European hubs has dropped to pre-war levels. Currently, EU gas storages are filled to more than 80% of capacity and are resuming the pumping season. Traders used gas storage services from Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Moldova, who in turn stored gas in Ukrainian storage facilities or used the short-haul service. The company said that gas from Poland was transported to Slovakia via Ukraine, and Moldova has finally implemented a reverse flow capability and is actively using Ukrainian storage facilities to store its gas supply for the winter. According to OGTSU, more than 1,000 customers from 26 countries keep their gas in Ukraine. The difference between prices on the short-term and long-term markets as early as autumn 2022 pushed Europeans to pump gas into Ukrainian storage facilities as well.
Moldova will allow Ukraine to import gas from the LNG terminals in Greece and Turkey. The Government of Moldova has approved a decision on the necessary legislative changes, which allows all companies to use the backhaul service (virtual reverse) at the connection point with Ukraine. As reported by Operator GTS of Ukraine, in this way, Ukrainian traders will be able to transport non-Russian gas through the Trans-Balkan Corridor from LNG terminals in Greece and Turkey or gas produced in Azerbaijan. Previously, this mechanism was used mainly by customers from Moldova. There is also an additional opportunity for foreign companies to store gas from LNG terminals in Greece or Turkey in Ukrainian underground storage facilities. This is an important decision both for the security of supply and the development of the Ukrainian gas market.
9.1.2 Automotive sector news
The new car market in Ukraine decreased by 62% over the year. In 2022, 39,000 new vehicles were sold in Ukraine, which is 62% less than last year. At the same time, the market for new light commercial vehicles reached 4,000 units, which is 69% less than the previous year. Thus, the total market for new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles by the end of 2022 amounted to 43,000 units. This was the lowest figure since 1998, when the market for new passenger cars was about 30,000 units.
During the war in Ukraine, the electric car market has grown by 150%.
Ukrainians bought 13,600 zero-emission cars last year, 1.5 times more than in 2021. According to Ukravtoprom, in addition to the general growth of the electric vehicle market, there was an increase in the share of new cars. In 2021 the share of new vehicles in electric car registrations was 14%, and according to 2022’s results, it increased to 17%. Ukraine's most popular electric car models continue to be the Nissan Leaf, Volkswagen ID, Tesla Model 3, Volkswagen e-Golf, and Renault Zoe. Moreover, in the last month of the year almost 1,600 battery-powered cars were added to the Ukrainian fleet, which is 66% more than a year earlier.
52 UKRAINE Country Report February 2023 www.intellinews.com