Coal supplies to Moldova could partially solve problems of Lviv, Volyn mines

Mykhailo Bondar, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Coal Industry of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Energy, Housing and Utilities, said this in a commentary to Espreso.

“Due to the Russian occupatio of the territories in Donbas where coal was mined, there are not many operating coal mines in the territory controlled by Ukraine. In fact, these are only Lviv and Volyn regions. But the coal in the Lviv-Volyn basin has a high sulfur content. It does not meet European standards. Therefore, two questions arise: whether Moldova is ready to lower these standards and whether their power units can burn this coal.”

According to the MP, if Moldova is ready to take coal from the Lviv-Volyn basin, it could solve the problem with sales that the mines faced after the destruction of thermal power plants.

“If we could sell coal products abroad and receive electricity in return, it would be beneficial for both countries,” says Bondar. ”The situation with debts at the mines is catastrophic. Large coal reserves have been accumulated in warehouses. Yes, companies sell it to the population, cement plants, and thermal power plants. But these volumes are not enough.”

In other words, if Lviv coal mines could increase coal sales through deliveries to Moldova, it would help cover a significant part of its debts, including salary payments to miners. However, there is an important nuance here.

“A large number of debts are related to the debts of Centrenergo, Coal of Ukraine and various entities that have not paid the company for the coal they received. There are criminal proceedings that have been going on for years, and the debts are growing. That is, even when coal is sold, this money is distributed somewhere at the top in such a way that miners do not have enough to pay their salaries,” says Bondar. ”Therefore, it is important not just to establish supplies to Moldova, but how they will be organized. For example, if Ukraine receives electricity in exchange for coal, who and how will be responsible for the funds that should go to the miners? Therefore, a clear algorithm must be developed - who pays for coal, in what timeframe, so that miners understand that at the end of the month they will receive money for their salary.”

More information about possible coal supplies to Moldova

On January 1, 2025, after the suspension of Russian gas supplies, Transnistria faced a serious energy crisis. Rolling blackouts began in the region. The Moldovan thermal power plant, which used to use Russian gas, has now switched to burning coal, in particular anthracite from Donbas, which was imported in 2013 as a backup fuel. The Moldovan government stated that these reserves would last only until the end of January.

On January 25, during a meeting between Moldovan President Maia Sandu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, they discussed the possibility of supplying Ukrainian coal to Moldova in exchange for electricity.