The Japan Coal Energy Center (JCOAL) and the Energy and Coal Industry Ministry of Ukraine on Aug. 5 signed a joint statement on comprehensive cooperation in the energy sector to strengthen Ukraine's energy independence.
The signing ceremony took place during the Ukrainian-Japanese
business consultations with the participation of Economic Development
and Trade Minister of Ukraine Pavlo Sheremeta and Minister of Economy,
Trade and Industry of Japan Toshimitsu Motegi, an Interfax-Ukraine
correspondent reported.
In addition, the parties signed a memorandum on cooperation in the project to improve the efficiency of coal power plants
Japan will provide support to Ukraine in improving the efficiency of coal power plants, Motegi said.
“Coal-fired thermal plants in Ukraine account approximately for 40 percent
of total electricity generation, but the performance of these stations
is low due to outdated equipment, which has been in operation for 47
years. If the equipment of all coal-fired plants in your country is
replaced by highly-efficient Japanese equipment, this will allow
reducing gas imports by about 10 percent,” Motegi said.
“In this situation, the Ukrainian government is doing everything
possible to provide people with energy. In these difficult conditions,
we also think about the future development, and we associate it with
high-tech equipment, the introduction of market mechanisms and the
integration of Ukraine into the EU common space. Today we will sign a
joint statement on energy and a memorandum of cooperation on a specific
project. We will restore the cooperation which was launched four years
ago,” Ukraine’s Energy and Coal Industry Minister Yuriy Prodan has said.
“At present, Ukraine is in a gas blockade by Russia. The third gas
war has actually started. The energy infrastructure in the east of the
country has been destroyed due to terrorist activities,” he added.
Motegi also announced his intention to resume negotiations with
Ukraine concerning the investment proposals and to make progress in on
this matter before the end of this year. Next week, Japan will send a
new delegation to Ukraine, he said.
“It is important that such a large delegation headed by the minister
came to Ukraine for the first time in this [difficult] time and signed
these cooperation agreements. The talks on facilitating mutual
investment conditions have been suspended, now we need to renew them,”
Sheremeta told reporters after signing the contracts.
