To navigate the events that are currently taking place in politics, you need to have not only knowledge in the field of economics, but sometimes also have technical knowledge. For example, in the media there is often information about the movement of gas in the opposite direction from Western countries to Ukraine, it is also called real or virtual gas reversal. Without understanding or dimly understanding what it is, the reader risks missing or distorting the meaning of the whole message.
What is the name of the gas movement in the opposite direction?
The correct technical name for this process is gas reverse. By reverse is meant the movement of gas in the opposite direction recorded in the contract. For example, under an agreement with Gazprom, the Ukrainian gas transmission system should deliver gas from Russia to Europe. When reversing, gas flows in the opposite direction: from European countries to Ukraine.
The reverse is physical (real) or “paper” (virtual). With physical gas, once in the territory of Hungary or Slovakia, it actually flows through pipes in the opposite direction. With virtual gas movement does not change direction, Ukraine pays the required volumes to Europeans and takes gas from its pipe.
The Importance of Energy
In modern geopolitics, energy plays a crucial role. They have turned from a source of energy and money into an effective political tool. Because of energy resources, conflicts and wars begin, with their help, supplier states increase their own importance on the world stage, defend their interests, and influence the policies of consumer countries.
Russia is no exception. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, energy prices soared, which allowed the Russian authorities not only to improve the economic condition of the state and create considerable cash reserves, but also to actively restore the status of a global geopolitical player, which was significantly lost over the previous decade.
Delivering a huge amount of energy resources to Europe, primarily gas, Russia has become an almost indispensable economic partner for the European Union. Moreover, this partnership was built both on an economic and a political basis. The opinion of one of the main energy suppliers has gained considerable weight in European political affairs.
Ukrainian-Russian gas wars
Ukraine occupied a special position in Russian-European gas relations. The lion's share of gas destined for the EU was pumped through its territory. In addition, Ukraine was one of the largest buyers of Russian gas for its own needs. And, of course, we must not forget about the historical proximity of the two Slavic countries. For centuries, Ukraine has been in the orbit of Russian influence, and a change in this status was not included in the plans of the Russian authorities.
As long as politicians loyal to Russia were in power in Kiev, Gazprom sold gas to the Ukrainian side at a very low price, compared to European prices. However, in 2004, people came to power in Ukraine, led by Viktor Yushchenko, who proclaimed the “European vector of development” and decided to get out of Moscow’s influence. In response, Russia began to revise gas prices.
One after another, gas wars of 2005-2009 broke out, which caused serious concern among Western countries, because they endangered their energy security, the heat in their homes, and the work of enterprises. Therefore, when the Ukrainian authorities tried to establish gas movement in the opposite direction, for example, from Slovakia to Ukraine, representatives of the European Union did not support this option, taking care of their own interests.
The result of the wars was a ten-year gas agreement signed in 2009, which was extremely inconvenient for Ukraine. After all, according to it, the price of gas increased to $ 450 per thousand cubic meters of gas, against $ 50 in 2005. Now, Ukrainians spent almost $ 12 billion a year on gas purchases, which amounted to about seven percent of the country's GDP.
But Russia received an effective economic and political weapon. According to the agreement, prices were revised annually, therefore, with the help of discounts, the Russian authorities promoted their own national interests, such as extending the lease for the Russian fleet in Crimea, loyalty to the authorities, assurances of Ukrainian politicians that a joint gas transport consortium would be created.
Events of 2014: a new round of gas conflict
After the Maidan and the escape from Yanukovych’s country, political forces came to power in Ukraine, supported by the West and extremely negatively opposed to Russia. The president was Petro Poroshenko, who introduced a new approach to European values and the liberation of the country from Russian influence. Poroshenko did not hide the fact that one of his most important goals is to refuse to buy Russian gas.
First, the Ukrainian Naftagaz tried, as usual, to establish virtual gas movement in the opposite direction, for example, from Slovakia to Ukraine. But they met a sharp refusal of Gazprom, which relied on the 2009 agreement. Therefore, Ukrainians had to agree with European companies on a real gas reversal.
In September 2014, gas began to flow in the opposite direction from Slovakia to Ukraine via the Budinice station. And from November 2015, according to Poroshenko, Naftagaz completely switched to reverse gas from Poland, Hungary and Slovakia, stopping its purchase from Russia. It would seem that the dream of many Ukrainian politicians came true: the country received energy independence from Gazprom.
However, although gas is moving in the opposite direction, from the European to the Ukrainian pipe, in reality it remains Russian. Western companies buy it from Gazprom, and then resell it to Ukraine, without harming themselves. The price of gas varies depending on the cost of oil and the season. As a result, Naftagaz often has to overpay for alleged freedom from gas dependence and for gaining political points among the population by the authorities, but in this case political considerations prevail over economic ones.
Dry numbers
In 2017, the total gas consumption in Ukraine amounted to about 28 billion cubic meters. In 2013, it was at the level of 50 billion. This huge decline is due to several factors: the shutdown of production or a decrease in their capacity; loss of territories and the enterprises located on them (part of Donbass and completely Crimea); several times higher gas tariffs for the population and producers.
In 2017, the volumes of domestic production in Ukraine were in the region of 21 billion cubic meters. This is not enough even for greatly reduced needs, in addition, we always need a reserve in case of a frosty winter. Therefore, Naftagaz is forced to cover the gas deficit through imports.
Until 2014, Russia was the main importer of gas, but after the Maidan, the share of Russian imports fell steadily, and then completely disappeared in securities, although it actually remained at the same level. Today, gas movement in the opposite direction was established from Poland - 1.3 billion cubic meters in 2017, Hungary - 2.8 billion cubic meters, Slovakia - 9.9 billion cubic meters.
In 2017, despite the complicated relations between Ukraine and the Russian Federation, Ukrainian pipes pumped nearly 94 billion cubic meters of Russian gas to Europe, which brought about three billion dollars to the country's budget.
