Yanukovych plans to bring agreements on coal gasification plants from China in early Dec
Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych next week will go China on an official visit, during which all the required agreements for the start of construction of four coal gasification plants in Ukraine could be signed.
"Now a large investment project with China is being finished – synthetic gas plants. It's likely that the agreements will be signed next week during my visit to China," he said in an interview with Ukrainian TV channels on Wednesday.
Yanukovych said that the plants are built as a part of the policy of reducing Ukraine's dependence on gas imports, thanks to which it was managed to cut gas purchases from 44.8 billion cubic meters in 2011 to 27.3 billion cubic meters in 2013.
One of the factors was the boosting of coal production: in 2010 it was 69 million tonnes and this year it will reach 86 million tonnes, the head of state said.
As reported, Ukraine's national oil and gas stock company Naftogaz Ukrainy in December 2012 signed an agreement with China Development Bank Corporation for $3.656 billion under state guarantee for projects involving the replacement of gas with coal.
The use at thermal-energy facilities of coal-water slurry fuel technology and the construction of plants for the gasification of coal will make it possible for Ukraine to replace around 4 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas with its own coal, to provide a stable market for the sale of around 10 million tonnes of coal per year, create new jobs, and make possible savings of up to $1.5 billion.
The credit line is open for 19 years (2012-2031) - with four years for the preparation and coordination of confirmed projects and the signing of individual credit agreements (the period of which will be 15 years).
Plants for the gasification of brown and bituminous coal will be built in Luhansk, Donetsk, and Odessa Regions using Shell technology approved by China.
