KYIV. Oct 31 (Interfax-Ukraine) - The demand for gas for the operation of thermal power plants (TPP) under the pessimistic scenario of coal supply in the heating season will be about 2 billion cubic meters (bcm), Ukrenergo main dispatcher Vitaliy Zaichenko has said at the round table "Is the Ukrainian Energy System Ready for Autumn and Winter Peak Loads?" at Interfax-Ukraine.

"If coal supplies are not sufficient, the only option for balancing is the use of gas at our TPPs ... Under the pessimistic scenario, we estimate the need at about 2 billion cubic meters," he said.

Zaichenko added coal stocks at the TPP warehouses significantly lag behind the indicators approved by the Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry.

As reported, coal reserves in the warehouses of Ukraine's thermal power stations fell by 1.6% (by 17,600 tonnes), to 1.095 million tonnes in the period from October 23 to October 30.

According to the ministry, for this period anthracite coal stocks increased by 2.5% (by 13,500 tonnes), to 554,500 tonnes, while gas coal reserves decreased by 5.5% (31,200 tonnes), to 540,400 tonnes.