The Naftogaz group has started purchasing natural gas, which will be stored in the “customs warehouse” (MS) regime, the company’s press service informed the Interfax-Ukraine agency on Wednesday.
According to her, the purchase is made at the expense of the credit line of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) for EUR 200 million, which was opened specifically for the formation of a gas reserve.
The group clarified that within the framework of the forecast balance of the receipt and distribution of natural gas of Ukraine for 2024 and the first quarter of 2025, approved last month, Naftogaz was determined to be responsible for the creation of a reserve gas reserve in case of emergency situations.
“It is not about importing gas, but about the purchase with EBRD funds of a volume that will be stored in the “customs warehouse” mode and will be used exclusively in case of emergency situations and only for business needs,” the press service explained.
Naftogaz added that the group intends to cover the needs of the Ukrainian population at the expense of its own production. “With the planned development of events, the gas of our own production will be quite enough to meet the needs of the Ukrainian population,” the company noted.
As reported, at the end of 2022, Naftogaz attracted an EBRD loan under state guarantees for EUR 300 million, due to which a natural gas reserve of 748 million cubic meters was created. m in the “customs warehouse” mode.
A new agreement on the EBRD loan to Naftogaz for EUR 200 million under state guarantees was concluded in November 2023. Then it was noted that it will enter into force after the issuance of state guarantees. Norway and the Netherlands shared the credit risk with the bank.
In July 2024, Minister of Finance of Ukraine Serhiy Marchenko and EBRD Managing Director for Ukraine and Moldova Arvid Turkner signed the corresponding guarantee agreement.
The MS regime allows you to store natural gas in the PSG of Ukraine for three years without paying taxes and customs duties during its further transportation from the territory of the country.
