The Ukrainian energy sector reached a significant milestone on 1 March, 2024. The arrival of spring meant that for the first time in the country’s independent history, Ukraine passed the entire winter heating season relying exclusively on domestically produced gas.
“The first day of spring. This means that we spent the winter entirely on Ukrainian gas. An historic event,” commented Oleksiy Chernyshov, the CEO of state-owned Ukrainian energy giant Naftogaz. “Ten years ago, nobody would have believed this possible. Two years ago at the start of the full-scale war, it would have been even harder to believe. But we did it and plan to continue strengthening Ukraine’s energy independence in the future.”
Ukraine was able to rely exclusively on its own gas resources during the winter 2023-24 heating season due to significant increases in domestic production achieved during 2023. Naftogaz Group company Ukrgasvydobuvannya boosted annual production rates by more than 10% last year, reaching a five-year daily high in February 2024.
In addition to enhanced gas sector self-reliance, Ukraine was also able to pass the winter months without any repeat of the rolling electricity blackouts that had marked the previous winter season. These energy sector successes underline Ukraine’s continued resilience as the full-scale Russian invasion of the country enters a third year.