Ukraine Adopted The Energy Strategy Project

The Ukrainian government has adopted The Energy Strategy of Ukraine Until 2030.
The program aims at reducing the energy consumption, integrating Ukraine?s energy system into the European one as well as reducing the country?s energy dependence with the help of its own resources.

Ukraine, however, does not even try to become energy independent of Russia for the years to come, the business daily Kommersant said.

A session of the government listed points of Ukraine?s energy strategy on March 15. The officials push for prolonging the operation of atomic power stations and building new ones, boosting coal, uranium and gas production and developing the energy export. ?What is crucial in this strategy plan is that it provides for real steps to cut the energy consumption in the industry,? said Ukrainian Energy Minister Ivan Plachkov who drafted the document.

Great hopes are laid on the coal extracting industry as Ukraine is determined to hoist the production to meet the country?s energy needs and cut coal imports dramatically by 2030. It is also planned to extend the operation time of atomic power stations by 12-15 years and construct new sites.

Gas consumption is to be cut to 50 billion from 76 billion by 2030 increasing the gas production to 30 billion cu. meters from 23 billion cu. meters. The program also highlights some overseas project but Naftogaz Ukrainy has not accomplished any of them yet.

Still, Ukraine does not even aim at gaining energy independence. An energy independent country cannot have more than 33 percent of all its fuel imported from one country, according the European Union?s standards. Russia?s share in the Ukrainian energy market is now far larger than that, Kommersant reported.