Underground Gas Storage Facilities in Ukraine: Current State and Future Prospects

Abstract

The article considers the system of underground gas storage in Ukraine, the history of its development, the characteristics of regional gas storage complexes, and the current state and role of the gas group enterprises in the domestic gas market. The study also proves the significant role of Ukrainian UGS facilities in ensuring the energy security of Europe. However, their position in the European gas market depends significantly not only on the demand for gas storage services from foreign companies but also on the awareness at the state level of the importance of collective energy security manifested in energy policy regulations. To process forecasts for the development of the European gas market, an assessment of the environment of the gas storage operator of Ukraine was carried out using PESTEL and SWOT analysis. As a result, pessimistic, realistic, and optimistic scenarios for using underground gas storage facilities in Ukraine have been formed.