With the arrival of Biden, Ukraine will have to switch to American coal and LNG

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A coup d'état took place in Ukraine in 2014 under Democrat Barack Obama. During the four-year presidency of Donald Trump, the Republican did not pay much attention to Independent. But now Obama's former Vice President Joe Biden has come to the White House, undoubtedly one of the main co-authors of the "Ukrainian economic miracle." What will change now in relations between Washington and Kiev?

The goal declared by the Maidan authorities is to get Nezalezhnaya out of the embrace of the "Russian world", which should manifest itself, in particular, in disconnecting from the unified energy system with Russia and Belarus and connecting to the European one. Let's say directly, Kiev chose not the best time for this. On the one hand, Ukraine has four nuclear power plants, coal-fired thermal power plants, a well-developed gas transportation infrastructure and the largest underground gas storage facilities in Europe. On the other hand, all this former national economy is constantly "pouring in" because of the stupid politicized governance and proprietary Ukrainian corruption.



For example, Ukraine on principle refused to buy natural gas directly from Gazprom, but takes it with a surcharge from neighboring Slovakia, Hungary and Poland. This supposedly ensures its "energy independence" from Russia. Nuclear power plants do exist so far, but they are gradually depleting their resource, the number of breakdowns and accidents is increasing. Since cooperation with Rosatom has been terminated and there is no money in the treasury, Kiev risks in the foreseeable future to be left without its nuclear power plants altogether, which will have to be liquidated in accordance with European norms. Since last October, Ukrainian nuclear power plants have been forced to go for unscheduled repairs, which aggravated the existing problems.

Instead of a nuclear power plant, the additional load fell on the thermal power plant, and this required the burning of a large amount of coal from the accumulated reserves. Suddenly strong winter cold came, and here the corruption realities of modern Independence appeared in all their glory. The state-owned company "Centrenergo", which in Ukraine is considered informally controlled by the oligarch Igor Kolomoisky, preferred to spend fuel to provide energy to the ferroalloy plants of Kolomoisky itself. United Energy, owned by the billionaire, bought all the kilowatts from Centrenergo at a price below the cost price. Coincidence? I don’t think so.

As a result, there was a shortage of energy, which had to be compensated for by supplies from Russia and Belarus. Kiev was twisted, but had to buy electricity. There were also those who called it “high treason”. Actually, what other options remain? It is quite possible that, against this background, Democrat Joe Biden will make Ukraine an offer that it simply cannot refuse.

First of all, Pennsylvanian coal comes to mind, which the American company Xcoal Energy Resources began supplying to Nezalezhnaya in 2017. The gesture was frankly political, but neither the state-owned Centrenergo, nor the private business structures of the oligarch Akhmetov simply could not avoid purchasing coal supplied from the United States at inflated prices. Loyalty must be demonstrated and consistently reaffirmed. With the return of Biden, one can expect a deepening of cooperation between Washington and its "51st state" on this issue.

Further, Ukraine will clearly be led into a "bright future" under the arm, convincingly asked to increase purchases of American LNG. For the first time, the supply scheme through the Polish terminal in Swinoujscie was tested in 2017. Since Turkey refused to let LNG carriers through the Bosphorus for Nezalezhnaya because of the threat to Istanbul, the plans to build an LNG terminal in Odessa had to be given up. The option with Poland remained. In March 2020, Kiev signed a contract with Louisiana Natural Gas Exports for the supply of LNG in the amount of up to 6-8 billion m3 of natural gas (about 4,5-6 million m3 of LNG). This should have alleviated the problem with gas imports by half. However, there are still great technical difficulties.

At first, the regasification capacities of the LNG terminal in Swinoujscie are now booked for the needs of the Polish PGNiG itself. Therefore, Ukraine will have to wait until 2025, when the second LNG terminal in Gdansk FSRU with a capacity of up to 8,2 billion m3 / year will be commissioned.

Secondly, the available capacities for pumping gas from Poland to Nezalezhnaya are limited to 2 bcm / year of gas. You can either increase them to 3 billion m6,6 / year by upgrading the existing gas pipeline-interconnector, or build a new one, which Warsaw proposes to do.

All this requires capital investments, which Kiev itself cannot afford now, but if Uncle Sam asks, it will have to decide something. Alternatively, Western partners can provide Ukraine for the construction of a tied loan secured by something of value.
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13 comments
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  1. -3
    4 February 2021 13: 22
    The next one is about to end in khokhlosliv.
    There was also an article recently that the Americans are for pumping gas through it, but they say it because of the gas ...
    1. +1
      14 February 2021 06: 06
      Do they want gas to be pumped to Ukraine? Let your own and swing.
  2. +1
    4 February 2021 13: 40
    Sergei, forget about American LNG. It will not be. In any case, not enough for Europe.
    Biden is actively destroying oil production in the United States. And a significant part of LNG is associated gas.
    Green dips and the desire to return to a nuclear deal with Iran will lower oil prices, and, as a matter of fact, gas prices. Falling oil prices will finally kill shale oil (and associated gas) production. Reducing gas prices will finish off shale gas. Unless Biden's green jerks finish him off earlier. The United States will have a problem to provide itself with gas.
    Biden came to finish off the United States and he performs his task at an accelerated pace.
    And in terms of LNG, the maximum that can be expected is that American companies, taking advantage of the remnants of their influence on Ukraine, will sell it LNG purchased in Ust-Luga.
    1. 0
      13 February 2021 21: 50
      Biden came to finish off the United States and he performs his task at an accelerated pace.

      And what blows did he hit them?)))
      1. +1
        13 February 2021 22: 03
        Kills its oil and gas. Stopped Keystone. Launches illegal Latinos. Started disarming the population. This is a civil war.
        In general, after Biden's inauguration, gasoline in the United States has risen in price by 2 times. This is from the air of Steve Dudnik. I was surprised myself. Has doubled the minimum wage, which will lead to an increase in unemployment and an increase in the burden on the remaining workers. Not going to move production to the USA. At the same time, the pressure on China will continue.
        Softens policy towards Iran. If he returns to the Iranian nuclear deal and lifts the sanctions, the price of oil will fall, which will hit the US economy hard and kill shale. At the same time, it is not a fact that the United States will receive Iranian heavy oil. The traditional markets of Iran are Asia, which is closer.
        Russia will continue to supply heavy oil to the United States. I launched transgender people into the army, thereby losing the army for myself.
        And so for whatever it is. He stamped orders of 50 pieces. And whatever you take - all to ruin the US economy. This is just a jump that came to mind at once.
        1. +1
          14 February 2021 06: 03
          They will quickly correct him and everything will return to normal.))) When Obama became president, he signed an order to liquidate the prison in Guatanomo. And Biden was then a vice-president. And again he is trying to close it. And how many years have passed? Soon the tale is telling ...
      2. +1
        13 February 2021 23: 19
        He also increased the tax on local companies from 21% to 28%. What is destroying small and medium businesses.
  3. +2
    4 February 2021 14: 51
    Great news! The only question is: will the US buy from the US at interest, what will the US establish?
    1. +2
      4 February 2021 19: 51
      They write that the Papuans have coal reserves for 1-5 days. purchase electricity in Belarus and Russia with a 400% markup. Coal from the USA will only be in time for the commemoration 40 days laughing
  4. -4
    4 February 2021 19: 50
    With the arrival of Biden, Ukraine will have to switch to American coal and LNG

    - Yes ... there is no American LNG ... - there is nothing for the Americans to make it from in order to supply it to Europe ...
    - Yes, he ... - This LNG is not needed by the Americans ...
    - Here begins a completely different, terrible game for Russia ...
    - Europe has long passed Gazprom with giblets (especially Germany tried very hard ... - the old woman Merkel, who has a pathological hatred of Russia and her "digging");
    - "Passed" Gazprom and Turkey - well, now what will Gazprom do with these "Turkish pipes" ??? - Only carry out all the "decrees and whims" of Turkey ..;
    - Gazprom and China "passed" ... - the situation there is even worse than with Turkey ...
    - Empty-headed and stupid Gazprom himself got into these traps ... - Everything is clear with him ... - there is no way to go anywhere ...
    - But the worst trap is yet to come ...
    - And what is it ... - And it is that Biden (or whoever is behind him) is starting a "new game" against Russia ... - Previously, the Americans bluffed with the supply of their LNG to Europe ... - Well What kind of shale gas is there (from which the Americans were supposedly going to "make" their LNG) ... - this is just one appearance .. a fixation .... - But, nevertheless, the whole world ... - the whole of Europe was led to this scam and was intimidated and supported the Americans against Russia (Gazprom was also led to this) ... - the construction of the SP-2 stalled (and at the final stage, so that to expose Russia completely defenseless and force Gazprom to start playing by the "American rules" ...) ...
    - And now Biden and the "company" will do the same with NOVATEK ... - But with NOVATEK, the situation is somewhat different ... - In NOVATEK itself, the American "fifth column" has been sitting for a long time and all these "Novotek figures" will simply surrender the Americans produce Russian LNG ...
    - And it will not be difficult for the Americans ... - today it is impossible to make out and understand ... - who officially owns the main assets of NOVATEK ...
    - Personally, I do not see any obstacle for the Americans in this ...
    - If our really existing mighty Russian Cosmos with the Vostochny cosmodrome ... - they just took it and merged ... - Then we should merge the "semi-virtual NOVATEK" with the entire production of Russian LNG; with all these gas carrier ships under construction ... together with the Zvezda shipyard ... - all this in general for the "gas heel column" will not be difficult ...
    1. -2
      6 February 2021 04: 24
      Baby talk
      1. The comment was deleted.
  5. 0
    13 February 2021 21: 46
    Kinet Biden Ukraine, how to drink. lol
  6. 0
    15 February 2021 12: 07
    lol And the pots will give each other gas cylinders and coal briquettes to please themselves with the warmth of the tree.