Experts: The world's largest companies will not invest money in the Ukrainian gas transportation system
Kyiv, August 21 (Navigator, Vladimir Raichenko) - Ukrainian energy experts do not believe that the world's largest oil and gas companies like Shell or Shevron will invest in the Ukrainian gas transportation system.
This was discussed at a press conference dedicated to the law adopted by the Verkhovna Rada on the initiative of Prime Minister Yatsenyuk on reforming the unified gas transportation system of Ukraine, 49 percent of the shares of which can now be transferred to gas transportation enterprises of the EU or the United States.
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“Officially, Shell stated that they are not interested in participating in such projects,” said Valentin Zemlyansky, director of energy programs at the Center for World Economy and International Relations of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. – Let’s remember that in 2011, European Commissioner for Energy Günter Oettinger said that Europe is not interested in investing in the Ukrainian gas transportation system without receiving guarantees from the Russian Gazprom. I don’t think that, given the new risks, the situation has changed much for foreign investors.”
In turn, Dmitry Marunich, director of the Institute for Energy Research, noted that companies such as Shell and Shevron are today trying to get rid of transit assets and “concentrate on their core activities, in which profitability is significantly higher.”
At the same time, Marunich added that theoretically, investments into the Ukrainian gas transportation system could come from entities not related to the gas business, for example, from private pension funds.
“But they will only invest in established businesses,” warns the director of the Institute for Energy Research. – As for Chevron, this is unlikely. Although, if the “Washington regional committee” gives the go-ahead, then it is quite possible.”
This possibility was ruled out by Ildar Gazizullin, director of economic programs at the Ukrainian Institute of Public Policy, according to whom, the resulting conflict of interests would not allow gas production companies to manage gas transportation assets. “This is contrary to EU directives in the energy sector,” he recalled.
Experts : The world's largest companies will not invest in Ukraine's gas transmission system.