An oversupply of natural gas has emerged on Ukraine's domestic market. Instead of serving as raw material for fertilizer production at the Odesa Port Plant (OPZ), this gas is being pumped into underground storage facilities and remains unused.
Alexander Gorbunenko, managing partner of Agro-Gas Trading, pointed out this paradox during a discussion on Yuri Romanenko's broadcast. As reported by Hvylya, Gorbunenko explained that the surplus resulted from the destruction of numerous industrial consumers due to the war.
"A very large portion of the volume currently being produced is sent to underground storage and is essentially not utilized for production or consumption," Gorbunenko explained.
The Odesa Port Plant requires approximately 700-800 million cubic meters of gas annually to operate—a small fraction of the country's total production. According to the expert, there are no technological obstacles to resuming production; the issue lies solely in management and the bureaucracy surrounding the state-owned asset.
Gorbunenko described the current gas market conditions as favorable for launching production. Prices have stabilized at levels seen in early 2021, and dependence on imported resources has decreased. Meanwhile, Ukraine continues to import fertilizers delivered by land through Bulgaria and Romania.