Ukraine can start exporting biomethane to Europe as early as November 2024, after accumulating a sufficient amount of reserves in gas storage facilities and proper training of personnel. This was announced by Georgy Heletukha, chairman of the board of the Bioenergy Association of Ukraine, reports Ukrinform.

According to Geletukha, seven biomethane plants are currently operating in Ukraine, which are scheduled to start operating by the end of 2024. Of these, two plants already produce liquefied biomethane and do not require connection to the gas transportation system (GTS). The remaining five plants must be connected to gas networks: one to the "GTS Operator of Ukraine" and four to distribution networks. According to Geletukha, two of these factories, which will be connected to distribution networks and have already signed contracts for connection, are the most prepared for work.

The expert also noted that according to the new legislation, which opened the possibility for the export of biomethane, gas must first be pumped into gas storage facilities within a month. This implies that biomethane producers must learn to work with the OGTSU platform and understand the mechanisms of the gas market in order to successfully export.

"I think the preparation process will take some time. After that, biomethane producers will have to pump gas for a month. I hope that in November, someone will be able to accumulate the first batch of biomethane and be ready for export," Geletukha commented.

He also noted that all seven biomethane plants that are planning to start operating will be able to produce a total of 111 million cubic meters of biomethane per year. The two plants that are most ready for launch can provide production of about 6 million cubic meters of biomethane per year.

In conclusion, Geletukha emphasized that it is still too early to make a forecast regarding the development of biomethane production in 2025. Potential investors will wait for the first results of biomethane export, which will determine the future prospects of this industry.