KYIV (Reuters) – Ukraine has bought 100 million cubic metres (mcm) of U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) in a deal between state energy firm Naftogaz and Poland’s Orlen, Naftogaz said on Tuesday.
A senior Ukrainian energy official told Reuters this month that Ukraine may import large volumes of U.S. gas this year via terminals in Germany, Greece, Lithuania and Poland.
“The fuel will come from a shipment of U.S. LNG. After regasification, the gas will be transported to the Polish-Ukrainian border,” Naftogaz said regarding the latest deal, adding the gas was due to arrive in April.
The U.S. is the world’s largest exporter of LNG and has played a major role in supplying Europe since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 which marked to end of much of Russia’s gas supply to Europe.
Recently, Ukraine has had to boost its gas imports amid massive Russian missile attacks on its gas production.
Ukraine’s gas imports increased almost tenfold in February after a series of attacks.
Naftogaz and DTEK, Ukraine’s largest private energy firm, said Russian forces had targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, damaging gas production facilities.
Import volumes have eased this month due to a significant rise in temperatures.
“Stable gas supplies remain our top priority. Cooperation with Orlen expands Ukraine’s LNG import capacity and enhances energy security,” said Roman Chumak, Naftogaz’s acting chairman of the board.
“We are diversifying supply sources to ensure a reliable and accessible gas supply, especially amid ongoing Russian attacks on our infrastructure,” he added.
The latest deal is the second under a memorandum of understanding between Naftogaz and Orlen and follows an earlier delivery, also of 100 mcm.
(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk; editing by Louise Heavens and Jason Neely)