KIEV, Dec. 2 – DTEK is to buy about 250,000 tons of coal from the South African Republic which was originally contracted by state-run Ukrinterenergo for state-run power generating company Centrenergo's thermal power plants, Energy and Coal Industry Minister Yuriy Prodan said.

"These are ships number four to six, which Centrenergo decided to give up due to inspections," he told reporters in Kyiv on Tuesday.

Prodan said DTEK was mulling over talks on further purchases of coal from the South African Republic because the situation with the supply of Russian coal is uncertain.