Kyiv, 25 March 2014 – The Minister of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine, Yuriy Prodan said today that Ukraine’s fuel supply was adequate: “We have successfully completed the winter heating season, nuclear fuel is being supplied adequately and the coal industry is meeting its production plans. Measures are now being taken to provide proper funding for our coal sector obligations and provide adequate safety measures.” Yuriy Prodan said that Ukraine has a sufficient inventory of oil products: “As of today, we have enough reserves for 28 – 29 days.”
Mr. Prodan does not rule out that Ukraine may face some risks related to the decrease in gas supplies to Ukraine and its increasing price. The Minister noted that the maintenance of the nuclear power industry remains in compliance with all IAEA safety standards.
Mr. Prodan explained that the power supply problems in Crimea was caused by required system maintenance: “As for the situation with limited power supply to the Republic of Crimea, yesterday I received a phone call from Russia’s Energy Minister, Mr. Novak and I explained to him that the situation was caused by maintenance problems on one of the lines which led to the shutdown of another line. Therefore, a restriction was introduced which is still in effect which reduces consumption so that Crimea can be provide itself with electrical power, but if certain limits are exceeded the system may shut down automatically,” the Minister said.
Yuriy Prodan emphasized that if payments become overdue, Crimea’s power companies may be disconnected: “In accordance with the current legislation, Crimea is a Ukrainian territory. There are local, commercial power supply companies in the Crimean peninsula such as KrymEnergo and SevastopolEnergo. If payments become overdue, Ukraine would be fully entitled to disconnect them.”
Yuriy Prodan is the Minister of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine since 27 February 2014. He served as the Minister of Fuel and Energy of Ukraine fro 18 December 2007 to 11 March 2010. Before that he had worked at EnergoRynok, a subsidiary of the National Energy Company UkrEnergo. He headed the National Electricity Regulatory Commission of Ukraine, he also worked as head of fuel, energy and energy efficiency of the Kiev City State Administration, First Deputy Minister of Fuel and Energy, CEO of the Energy Company of Ukraine. In 2007, he became Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.
