Ukraine's Naftogaz Group has signed a memorandum of understanding with Canadian company Kino Aski LNG to explore the potential supply of liquefied natural gas from Canada, Naftogaz's press service said.
The memorandum creates a framework for examining the possibility of future long-term supplies of Canadian gas to Naftogaz from Kino Aski LNG's planned terminal, the company said. Under the agreement, the two sides will assess potential demand for Canadian LNG on the European market and the possibilities for delivering it.
Klaipeda terminal capacity
Any Canadian gas volumes could be matched with capacity Naftogaz has already booked at the LNG terminal in Klaipeda, Lithuania, for the period from 2033 to 2044, according to the company. Additional capacity at other European terminals could also be brought in.
Serhii Fedorenko, Naftogaz's acting chairman of the board, said the company was widening its circle of international partners in order to have more options for buying gas on competitive terms. He said the cooperation with Kino Aski LNG would allow Naftogaz to assess the prospects of adding Canadian liquefied gas to its supply portfolio.
What is Kino Aski LNG
Kino Aski LNG is a Canadian project to build an LNG terminal with a declared potential capacity of up to 15 million tonnes of gas a year, Naftogaz said. Naftogaz Group is Ukraine's state-owned oil and gas company and the country's main gas importer, buying gas abroad to cover shortfalls in domestic supply, a need that has grown since Russian strikes began targeting Ukraine's gas production and storage facilities.
2025 import volumes
In 2025, Naftogaz imported 5.7 billion cubic metres of gas using funds from the state budget and from international partners, the company said. The memorandum with Kino Aski LNG adds Canada to the list of countries Naftogaz is examining as it looks to diversify where it buys gas from ahead of future winters.
