In January-December 2021, Ukraine’s coal imports surged to 19.6 mio t (+2.6 mio t or +15% y-o-y).
Ukraine received 14.0 mio t or 72% of its coal imports from Russia, 3.0 mio t or 15% from Kazakhstan and 2.6 mio t or 13% from other countries.
On June 15, 2021, the Ukrainian Ministry of Energy called on coal-fired local power plants to boost coal imports to accumulate over 3.0 mio t of coal in stocks in the run-up to heating season. Currently, coal reserves at Ukrainian power plants remain at a low level of 0.73 million tons (+0.27 mio t or +59% to 15.11.2021).
Ukrainian power plants needed to accumulate at least 0.97 mio t of coal as of mid-January for safe and stable electricity production during the ongoing six-month heating season, which runs through April 15.
As a result of the heat wave in Ukraine this summer, local generating companies increased their coal consumption, which led to a reduction in inventories in the country.
In 2020, Ukraine imported 17 mio t of coal (-4.1 mio t or -20% to 2019).
Source: CAA
