Ukraine's gas surplus grows as consumption drops 20%

Ukraine has developed a surplus of natural gas in its commercial market due to a sharp decline in industrial consumption, according to gas market expert Mykhailo Svyshcho of the analytical company ExPro. Average summer gas consumption was 20% lower than the previous year, with August seeing a 23% drop, the largest annual decline. Svyshcho attributes this to strikes on large industrial consumers and port infrastructure, which reduced demand and created excess supply. The surplus was a key topic in discussions about potentially opening controlled gas exports, but exports were never launched, leaving the excess within the domestic market. Earlier, Volodymyr Omelchenko of the Razumkov Centre suggested Ukraine should reconsider its export ban and adopt a model allowing surplus sales abroad and imports during shortages.