Ukraine Launches Moderernization of Pipeline System

Ukraine has launched the modernization of its main gas pipeline.

Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, Minister of Energy and Coal Industry Yurii Boiko and representatives of  Naftogaz Ukrainy and Ukrtransgaz were amongst those who attended the welding of the symbolic "golden seam" of the Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhgorod pipeline.

The movement to modernize the gas transport system is proceeding against the backdrop of the North Stream and South Stream gas pipelines poised to impact Ukraine's roles as a transit nation for deliveries of Russian natural gas to Europe.

The modernization project will cover nine years and is divided into four stages. The first phase is to increase the reliability of the pipeline system, including increased performance of gas pumping units and the lowering of gas losses, is to take three years at a cost of  is USD 538.87 million.

Designed to deliver 27.9 billion cubic meters of gas, the pipeline system runs 1,160 kilometers across Ukraine through Sumy, Poltava, Cherkasy, Kyiv, Vinnytsia, Khmelnytskyi, Ternopil, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv and Zakarpattia regions.

Source: Ukranian News Agency