National JSC Naftogaz Ukrainy is to buy 32 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas from OJSC Gazprom in 2010, which is a similar volume to gas purchases in 2009 but lower than the 52 bcm stipulated in the contract for 2009-2019, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has said.
“We’ll suggest we could buy 32 bcm of natural gas next year,” she said at a press conference in Kyiv on Monday.
“We have full right to submit such a request for the amounts Ukraine needs,” she said. “And we have the right to apply for 32 billion. If we consume less, it could even be 27 billion.”
She explained that the contract is based on a “take or pay” model, which allows a 20% deviation up or down on agreements on the volumes of purchases without fines.
According to Tymoshenko, the contract allows to the submission proposals for planned amounts of gas purchases three months prior to the completion of the contracted year, and the submission of such a proposal should not be treated as an attempt to change the contract.
“There is no obstacle to applying for less, and it won’t entail fines. We could apply for 27 billion, or 26 billion depending on what the Economy Ministry plans,” she added.
