OREANDA-NEWS. November 28, 2012. The LNG-terminal construction at the Pivdennyi Commercial Seaport [Southern] in the Odesa Region is an important step in ensuring energy independence of Ukraine. That was announced by Prime Minister Mykola Azarov after participating in a video conference on the occasion of the project starting.

"I would like to congratulate you on a truly historic moment: on the fact that today we have made the first real big step toward providing energy independence of Ukraine. Its importance cannot be overemphasized. The terminal will be able to take such volumes of gas, due to which we will be an independent player in the energy market," said the Prime Minister.

He stressed this large investment project is being implemented under the global financial crisis. "This demonstrates once again the investment attractiveness of our country and investor confidence in the policies we carry, in our country as well," Mykola Azarov said.

The Ukrtransgaz [Affiliated Company of Naftogaz of Ukraine National Joint-Stock Company] launched today construction of a pipeline to connect the future LNG-terminal into the gas transportation system of Ukraine. The total construction cost makes UAH 1 billion 150 million. Under this project there will be built a gas pipeline with a diameter of 1000 mm, length of 65 km (the first stage - 42 km, the second stage - 23 km). Implementation of the first stage will enable to receive by LNG-terminal of gas in volume up to 5 billion cubic meters per year, at the second stage - more than 10 billion cubic meters of gas per year.