A comprehensive system of underground storage facilities will be created in Ukraine, and appropriate conditions will be ensured for the safe storage of petroleum products. First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy Denys Shmyhal reported this, according to UNN.
Details
According to him, together with the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development, the tax and customs services, the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine, and business representatives, he discussed the situation on the fuel market and the system’s readiness to operate amid wartime risks.
I heard reports on the current situation. As of now, the market remains controlled and balanced, and available resources are sufficient to cover consumers’ current needs
He emphasized that a number of measures are being taken to ensure that the situation remains manageable:
- the government has launched a pilot project for underground fuel storage. A comprehensive system of underground storage facilities will be created in Ukraine, and appropriate conditions will be ensured for the safe storage of petroleum products. The priority is to ensure the uninterrupted supply of diesel fuel, first and foremost for the needs of defense and critical infrastructure;
- work continues on diversifying supply routes. Particular attention is being paid to the Romanian route. Specific agreements were reached on expanding the logistical capacity of rail and river routes through Romania following the recent meeting between Presidents Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Nicușor Dan. The governments of the two countries are now working to implement them;
- fuel reserves are being increased. As of the beginning of September, according to data from the State Customs Service, the State Tax Service, and market operators, there are sufficient fuel reserves to maintain the current level of consumption.
"These steps have made it possible to stabilize the situation on the fuel market," the Minister of Energy said.
We remind you
In August, the government’s Center for Strategic Communications called it manipulative to claim that "limits on diesel refueling began to be introduced in Ukraine due to a shortage."