OREANDA-NEWS. May 16, 2008. Ukraine is planning to import in 2008 at least one million tons of thermal coal in order to observe schedules for its accumulation at the storages of heat power plants and total energy power stations, Fuel and Energy Minister Yuriy Prodan said.

He noted that, by the beginning of November, it is necessary to pile up over four million tons of coal, which will make it possible to reduce the consumption of natural gas, and lessen the impact of imported gas price rise on the price of electricity, which is possible in early 2009.