The gas transmission system can give an impetus to the renewable gases (biomethane and hydrogen) industry’s development, as it can connect producers and consumers situated in different locations of Ukraine or beyond, said Kateryna Kovalenko, GTSOU’s Head of Strategy Division, at the first Ukrainian Biomethane Forum on Monday (22 April).
“Ukraine’s GTS is linked with four EU countries, which provides Ukrainian producers with an opportunity to export biomethane to Europe. In the difficult circumstances that biomethane producers currently face in Ukraine, export is next to the only business opportunity for the industry’s development,” said Mr Kovalenko.
Mr Kovalenko recalled the changes made to Ukraine’s code of the gas transmission system (GTS and approved by the country’s energy regulator National Commission for State Energy and Public Utilities Regulation (NEURC) in 2023, according to which connection of biomethane plants to the GTS via the gas distribution networks became possible. These changes give small producers access to the Ukrainian GTS, as well as enable cooperation between producers and shorten the distance to a possible connection point.
“We are seeing a gradual revival on the biomethane market. Since the start of the year, two biomethane plants have already received technical conditions for connection to the gas transmission system. Apart from that, the first transportation contract with a biomethane producer has already been signed,” said Mr Kovalenko.
