As Gazprom resumed transit towards Romania via Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, flows are still weak and reflect a poor supply and pipe capacity demand, according to Moldavian media. Gas flow to Romania previously cut in April 2021 has resumed since January 2022, but flows remain low, at a reserved capacity of just 154 million cubic meters for the entire month.
Also, the entire 2021 is reflected in poorer figures of the Ukrainian TSO’s figures, consulted by Energynomics.
In 2021, the Gas TSO of Ukraine transited 41.6 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Europe (-25% compared to 2020). The volume of gas transported from Europe to Ukraine for the same period amounted to almost 2.6 billion cubic meters (six times less compared to 2020).
The average daily transit volume in 2021 amounted to 114 million cubic meters of gas per day, but in some periods it decreased to 67 million cubic meters.
In total, 44.4 billion cubic meters of transit capacities at the exit points from Russia were booked in 2021 and only 41.6 billion cubic meters of which were used. Despite a significant increase in prices in European gas markets due to a shortage of natural gas and a reduction in reserves in European UGS facilities, the possibilities of the Ukrainian transit route, that are more than sufficient to overcome the gas crisis in the EU, were not used, says the Ukrainian TSO.
On the contrary, during the period of the greatest increase in gas prices in October-December on the European gas markets and the beginning of the autumn-winter period, the average monthly transit of gas from Russia to the EU countries was 17% lower than in January-August.
In the western direction, GTSOU transported 38 billion cubic meters of gas (26% less than in 2020), 4 billion cubic meters of which – to Slovakia (-29%), 3,8 billion cubic meters to Poland (+1%), 6.8 billion cubic meters to Hungary (-29%).
In the southern direction, transit amounted to 3.6 billion cubic meters (-8%), 0.4 billion cubic meters (-56%) of which were to Romania and about 3.2 billion cubic meters (+ 6%) – to Moldova. A significant reduction in transit volumes to Hungary and Romania was also caused by the transition of these countries to bypass gas pipelines of Gazprom. Therefore, from April 1, 2021, physical transit in the Trans-Balkan direction (GDS Orlovka) to Romania was stopped, and from October 1 – to Hungary (GDS Bereg).
In 2021, the capacity of the Ukrainian GTS was used by less than 30%.
