KIEV, July 15 - Ukraine increased electricity exports by 17.3% or by 365.5 million kilowatt-hours in H1, to 2.473 billion kilowatt-hours, the Energy and Coal Industry Ministry reported.

Electricity exports to Hungary, Slovakia and Romania from the Burshtyn thermal power plant in the first six months of 2011 rose by 2.6 times or 854.9 million kilowatt-hours compared to January-June 2010, to 1.394 billion kilowatt-hours. The increase is linked to the fact that there were no commercial exports of electricity to Eastern Europe in March-June 2010.

Belarus in the period imported 808.7 million kilowatt-hours of Ukrainian electricity, which is 1.9 times or 755.6 million kilowatt-hours less year-over-year. Ukraine did not export electricity to Belarus in May-June, as the country does not have money to pay for electricity, the Ukrainian ministry said.