OREANDA-NEWS. June 19, 2008. As of June 1, coal reserves at the storage facilities of thermoelectric power stations amounted to 3.228 million tons, or 844,300 tons up year-over-year, the Fuel and Energy Ministry reported.

In 2008, the ministry plans to accumulate over 4 million tons of coal at the stations' storage facilities ahead of the 2008/2009 heating season due to an unclear situation with prices for gas supplies to Ukraine in 2009. Fuel and Energy Minister Yuriy Prodan said that the presence of the sufficient amount of coal at thermoelectric power stations would help Ukraine avoid problems with gas supplies and set optimal prices for electricity.

According to the ministry, as of June 1, 2008, the stations had a reserve of 152,300 tons of black oil (157,000 tons on June 1, 2007).