Annexed Crimea on December 27 annexed to the gas transportation system of Russia through a pipeline across the Kerch Strait. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that four years on the Peninsula will be built and rekonstruiruet 70 kilometers of pipelines, two and a half thousand of gas pipelines and eight pumping stations. According to him, it needs to provide the energy needs of the Peninsula.
Member of the Supervisory Board of the Ukrainian Institute of energy strategies Yuriy Korolchuk believes that Russia is supplying gas to Crimea, actually trying to solve the problem with electricity:
— In the Crimea has traditionally used natural gas for industry, heating of apartments and private houses. Ukraine supplied about one billion cubic meters, and is extracted “Chernomorneftegaz”. Before the annexation, the company reached the figure of two billion cubic meters, that is, in fact, in 2013, the Crimea became self-sufficient in terms of gas. Now Chernomorneftegaz reduces oil on the continental shelf of the Black sea, and deliveries from Russia are planning to increase. It’s cheaper than to invest in the development of new deposits, and after the energy blockade of the Russian gas is needed primarily for work heat and energy supply of the Crimea.
Yuri Korolchuk said that Moscow does not skimp on energy “gifts” for Crimea for more important reasons than the comfort of the Crimeans:
— If we take into account of the laying of the supply cable on the bottom of the Kerch Strait, Russia has invested in “energy independence” of the Crimea, about 700-800 million dollars. In addition, it is necessary to create the infrastructure on the Peninsula to both gas and electricity was much feeding, and the process is ongoing. Russia is important to show that the supply of Crimea for her important and successful project that it is implemented to the end. This question, of course, not economic and not social and political, a question of prestige.
The Deputy of the Kremlin-controlled Crimean Parliament Pyotr Zaporozhets: “I believe that the budget deficit is one such moment — gasification of the Crimea. Putin said it would be until 2020 to keep on monitoring the gasification, but in the budget it laid a total of 83 million rubles. This is a strange disproportion. Either the money is provided in the Russian budget, or the funds will be allocated on the basis of a surplus in our budget.”
A leading analyst of the Russian national energy security Fund Igor Yushkov recalled that Russia has long been ready to supply gas to the South:
— The supply of the Crimea will not lead to deficit for the South of Russia, because there, and so were preparing infrastructure for the pumping of gas via the Turkish stream: straight from the Yamal Peninsula to Anapa brought a capacity of 32 billion cubic meters. In fact, the gas pipeline to Crimea is just his branch. In such circumstances, to produce more gas from Black sea shelf really too difficult and expensive. In Russia itself to remote regions to build a system for the liquefaction of gas, which in this form can be sent anywhere. Organize something similar for the Crimea is not yet clear. It is possible that the Peninsula would be enough supplies through the new pipeline, but I would watch carefully how the gas down to specific points in the Crimea.
