NCSREPU simplifies use of Ukrainian USF

The National Commission for State Regulation of Energy and Public Utilities (NCSREPU) has simplified the use of Ukrainian underground gas storage facilities (USF) for domestic customers and European partners.

This follows from a statement by the Commission, the Ukrainian News agency reports.

In particular, the NCSREPU resolution provides for amendments to the Gas Storage Code and the Model Storage Agreement in part:

• expansion of capacity allocation periods, in particular providing the opportunity to order the capacity of gas storage facilities for the basic pumping season and the basic selection season separately, as well as for several months in one year of storage;
• cancellation of natural gas injection/withdrawal curves and introduction of the European practice of providing access to gas storage facilities through capacity allocation with the right to store/inject/withdraw the same amount of natural gas during each gas day for the corresponding capacity allocation period;
• optimization of the gas storage capacity allocation procedure through the use of the information platform by the gas storage operator;
• provision of natural gas storage (injection, selection) services mainly under the conditions of using guaranteed and conditionally guaranteed capacity (minimum 90% of technical capacity, except for injection capacity in the basic selection season and selection capacity in the basic injection season, during the day-ahead capacity distribution period) ;
• determining the deadlines for submitting applications for the allocation of gas storage capacity, which will coincide with the deadlines for capacity allocation at interstate connections and internal entry/exit points of the gas transportation system.

According to the report, the specified changes are aimed at improving the conditions for providing gas storage (injection, withdrawal) services by creating new storage (injection, withdrawal) products with different time frames and conditions of use, which will contribute to greater filling of the capacities of Ukrainian USF.

"The adoption of this resolution is the need of the hour and is especially relevant for European customers in the conditions of the need to diversify sources of gas supply. The specified changes will allow increasing the income from the operation of storage facilities for Ukraine at unchanged tariffs. It is also beneficial for European consumers because the tariffs for storage and service in Ukrainian storage facilities are lower than in EU member states," the message states.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, tariffs for gas storage in Ukrainian USF will remain unchanged until April 1, 2025.

In 2024, the Naftogaz of Ukraine national joint-stock company aims to increase the volume of gas supplied by European traders to Ukrainian USF by 60% year over year to 4 billion cubic meters.

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