National energy company Ukrenergo has divided power lines for exporting electricity to Europe into separate lots (to export electricity to Hungary, Romania and Slovakia) in line with the sector rules, the press service of Ukrenergo has reported.

"The Burshtyn TPP Island (Ukraine) – Hungarian, Slovakian and Romanian power grids mentioned in the letter of the Energy and Coal Industry Ministry [the ministry opposed the approach of Ukrenergo] does not meet the notion of interstate flow determined in the rules, according to which access to a separate flow to each country is to be put up for an auction," Ukrenergo said.

The company said that they had to publish the details of the annual auction to export electricity before approving the issue by the Energy and Coal Industry Ministry, as the term set in Ukrainian law to publish the announcement expired on December 5.

"We are to publish the details of the auction no later than December 5, 2016 - the letter from the NCER [National Commission for Energy, Housing and Utilities Services Regulation] on December 5. The letter from the ministry was received only on December 6. On December 5 it was decided to publish the details of the annual auction for 2017," the press service said.