Ukraine Increases its Yearly Electricity Export by 52.5%

KYIV, Ukraine, January 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

In 2011 Ukraine increased the volume of exported electricity by 52.5 percent compared to 2010. The output grew by 2.2 billion kWh and constituted 6.4 billion kWh, according to the Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine. The total amount of electricity exported in 2011 equaled about three percent of the country's annual production of 193.9 billion kWh.

Belarus, Hungary, Moldova and Slovakia became the largest importers of Ukrainian electricity in 2011 with the total share of 97.8 percent, according to RBK.ua. In 2011 Belarus imported 39.8 percent share of the total amount of energy exported by Ukraine. Hungary, Moldova, and Slovakia acquired 38.4, 10.3 and 9.2 percent of Ukrainian electricity respectively. Among others, Poland, Russia and Romania also import Ukrainian electricity.

Most of Ukrainian electric power in 2011 was produced at fuel-burning power plants - 92.6 billion kWh, nuclear power stations - 90.2 billion kWh and hydroelectric stations - 8.8 billion kWh.

The State Agency on Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving of Ukraine additionally estimated the five-time increase of energy production from the renewable sources - up to 1 billion kWh in 2012.

Notably, Ukraine plans to introduce the hydro-coal technology at its fuel-burning plants. The technology is a cleaner and cheaper alternative to expensive Russian gas. It would allow for the reduction of harmful emissions following international environmental standards, according to the Minister of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine Yuriy Boyko.

Since 2010 Ukraine began synchronizing its own energy system with the European one. This requires compliance with the standards of the Union for the Co-ordination of Transmission of Electricity. As part of this effort, Ukraine arranged for the construction of a new power line that was set to connect the Ukrainian and European ENTSO-E energy systems. In September 2011 Ukraine's NPC Ukrenergo signed a EUR 175 million agreement on the construction of a new power line on Europe's largest nuclear power station in Zaporizhzhya, Southern Ukraine.

Additionally, Ukraine changed its energy trading system in order to make its energy more easily accessible to foreign buyers. As a result, Ukraine's energy export experienced a significant increase of 52.5 percent in 2011 compared to 2.7 percent in 2010. Ukraine traditionally exports its energy to Belarus, Bulgaria, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Russia, Romania, Slovakia, etc.

SOURCE Worldwide News Ukraine