Ukraine cuts gas-storage tariffs 11%

Published May 27, 2026 by The Daily Scout

- Ukraine’s energy regulator cut Ukrtransgaz gas-storage tariffs by 11% on May 26, aiming to spur injections into underground sites before winter. - The new tariff sets storage at 0.45 hryvnia per 1,000 cubic meters per day, with Ukrtransgaz managing 30.95 billion cubic meters of capacity. - The new rates apply from June 1, 2026, through March 31, 2029, under a NEURC regulatory period.

Why it matters

Ukraine’s energy regulator has cut gas-storage tariffs for Ukrtransgaz by 11% as Kyiv tries to attract more gas into underground storage ahead of the next heating season. The National Energy and Utilities Regulatory Commission, or NEURC, set the new rates on May 26 for the period from June 1, 2026, to March 31, 2029. The move comes as Ukraine prepares for another winter under wartime conditions and seeks to keep its storage system available to domestic and foreign market participants. Ukrtransgaz says it operates Europe’s largest underground gas storage system, with 30.95 billion cubic meters of active capacity. ### What exactly changed in the tariff? NEURC set the storage tariff at 0.45 hryvnia per 1,000 cubic meters per day, excluding VAT, according to the regulator’s published resolution. The same decision set injection and withdrawal tariffs at 360.02 hryvnia per 1,000 cubic meters per day, excluding VAT, for the new regulatory period. (nerc.gov.ua) Reuters reported the package represented an 11% cut in gas-storage tariffs intended to encourage traders and suppliers to refill Ukraine’s underground storage sites before winter. That reduction applies to the storage component that market participants pay to keep gas in the system. ### Why is Ukraine focusing on storage before winter? (nerc.gov.ua) June 1 is the start date for the new tariff period, and Ukraine is already in the injection season for building stocks ahead of colder months. Naftogaz said in March 2024 that one of its key objectives was to increase the volume of gas stored by foreign energy companies in Ukraine’s underground facilities, and it linked tariff policy directly to that goal. (nerc.gov.ua) Roman Malyutin, the head of Ukrtransgaz at the time, said more than 160 foreign energy companies from 32 countries were using Ukraine’s “customs warehouse” mode, which allows gas to be stored for 1,095 days without taxes and customs duties. Naftogaz also said about 80% of Ukraine’s underground storage facilities are in western Ukraine, far from the front line. (naftogaz.com) ### How big is Ukraine’s storage system? Ukrtransgaz says it manages 12 storage sites, two of them in temporarily occupied territories, with total capacity of 30.95 billion cubic meters. The company describes the network as the largest in Europe and says companies from more than 30 countries use its storage services. Naftogaz said gas reserves in Ukrainian underground storage stood at 7.74 billion cubic meters as of March 22 and were the largest volume in Europe at that point, ahead of Germany and Italy. (naftogaz.com) That comparison underlines why Kyiv has continued to market the system to European traders despite the war. (utg.ua) ### How does the tariff fit into wartime energy policy? May 5 was the date NEURC published a draft tariff decision for Ukrtransgaz and said it was seeking comments before adopting a final resolution. In an explanatory note tied to that process, the regulator said it proposed a 3% regulatory rate of return for 2026-2029 in order to restrain growth in gas-storage tariffs. (naftogaz.com) Naftogaz said in 2024 that tariff stability was meant to help maintain foreign traders’ trust during the war, while Ukrtransgaz said it was preparing the system so Ukrainian and foreign companies could inject significant volumes smoothly. Those statements framed storage not only as a commercial service but as part of Ukraine’s winter-readiness planning. (nerc.gov.ua) ### What happens next for traders and suppliers? June 1, 2026, is when the new tariff period begins, and the rates are due to remain in force until March 31, 2029, under NEURC’s resolution. Ukrtransgaz’s storage calculator says applications for bundled capacity are submitted from the last Monday in January to the second Monday in February for storage years running from 2025-2026 onward. (naftogaz.com) Ukrtransgaz’s 2026-2035 storage development plan was approved by NEURC on April 7, 2026. That plan, together with the new tariff period, sets the framework for how the operator will market and run the system through the next several winter cycles. (nerc.gov.ua 1) (nerc.gov.ua 2)

Key numbers

Ukraine’s energy regulator cut Ukrtransgaz gas-storage tariffs by 11% on May 26, aiming to spur injections into underground sites before winter.
The new tariff sets storage at 0.45 hryvnia per 1,000 cubic meters per day, with Ukrtransgaz managing 30.95 billion cubic meters of capacity.
The new rates apply from June 1, 2026, through March 31, 2029, under a NEURC regulatory period.
Ukraine’s energy regulator has cut gas-storage tariffs for Ukrtransgaz by 11% as Kyiv tries to attract more gas into underground storage ahead of the next heating season.

What happens next

Ukraine’s energy regulator has cut gas-storage tariffs for Ukrtransgaz by 11% as Kyiv tries to attract more gas into underground storage ahead of the next heating season.
The National Energy and Utilities Regulatory Commission, or NEURC, set the new rates on May 26 for the period from June 1, 2026, to March 31, 2029.
May 5 was the date NEURC published a draft tariff decision for Ukrtransgaz and said it was seeking comments before adopting a final resolution.

Sources

Quick answers

What happened in Ukraine cuts gas-storage tariffs 11%?

Ukraine’s energy regulator cut Ukrtransgaz gas-storage tariffs by 11% on May 26, aiming to spur injections into underground sites before winter. The new tariff sets storage at 0.45 hryvnia per 1,000 cubic meters per day, with Ukrtransgaz managing 30.95 billion cubic meters of capacity. The new rates apply from June 1, 2026, through March 31, 2029, under a NEURC regulatory period.

Why does Ukraine cuts gas-storage tariffs 11% matter?

Ukraine’s energy regulator has cut gas-storage tariffs for Ukrtransgaz by 11% as Kyiv tries to attract more gas into underground storage ahead of the next heating season. The National Energy and Utilities Regulatory Commission, or NEURC, set the new rates on May 26 for the period from June 1, 2026, to March 31, 2029. The move comes as Ukraine prepares for another winter under wartime conditions and seeks to keep its storage system available to domestic and foreign market participants. Ukrtransgaz says it operates Europe’s largest underground gas storage system, with 30.95 billion cubic meters of active capacity. What exactly changed in the tariff? NEURC set the storage tariff at 0.45 hryvnia per 1,000 cubic meters per day, excluding VAT, according to the regulator’s published resolution. The same decision set injection and withdrawal tariffs at 360.02 hryvnia per 1,000 cubic meters per day, excluding VAT, for the new regulatory period. (nerc.gov.ua) Reuters reported the package represented an 11% cut in gas-storage tariffs intended to encourage traders and suppliers to refill Ukraine’s underground storage sites before winter. That reduction applies to the storage component that market participants pay to keep gas in the system. Why is Ukraine focusing on storage before winter? (nerc.gov.ua) June 1 is the start date for the new tariff period, and Ukraine is already in the injection season for building stocks ahead of colder months. Naftogaz said in March 2024 that one of its key objectives was to increase the volume of gas stored by foreign energy companies in Ukraine’s underground facilities, and it linked tariff policy directly to that goal. (nerc.gov.ua) Roman Malyutin, the head of Ukrtransgaz at the time, said more than 160 foreign energy companies from 32 countries were using Ukraine’s “customs warehouse” mode, which allows gas to be stored for 1,095 days without taxes and customs duties. Naftogaz also said about 80% of Ukraine’s underground storage facilities are in western Ukraine, far from the front line. (naftogaz.com) How big is Ukraine’s storage system? Ukrtransgaz says it manages 12 storage sites, two of them in temporarily occupied territories, with total capacity of 30.95 billion cubic meters. The company describes the network as the largest in Europe and says companies from more than 30 countries use its storage services. Naftogaz said gas reserves in Ukrainian underground storage stood at 7.74 billion cubic meters as of March 22 and were the largest volume in Europe at that point, ahead of Germany and Italy. (naftogaz.com) That comparison underlines why Kyiv has continued to market the system to European traders despite the war. (utg.ua) How does the tariff fit into wartime energy policy? May 5 was the date NEURC published a draft tariff decision for Ukrtransgaz and said it was seeking comments before adopting a final resolution. In an explanatory note tied to that process, the regulator said it proposed a 3% regulatory rate of return for 2026-2029 in order to restrain growth in gas-storage tariffs. (naftogaz.com) Naftogaz said in 2024 that tariff stability was meant to help maintain foreign traders’ trust during the war, while Ukrtransgaz said it was preparing the system so Ukrainian and foreign companies could inject significant volumes smoothly. Those statements framed storage not only as a commercial service but as part of Ukraine’s winter-readiness planning. (nerc.gov.ua) What happens next for traders and suppliers? June 1, 2026, is when the new tariff period begins, and the rates are due to remain in force until March 31, 2029, under NEURC’s resolution. Ukrtransgaz’s storage calculator says applications for bundled capacity are submitted from the last Monday in January to the second Monday in February for storage years running from 2025-2026 onward. (naftogaz.com) Ukrtransgaz’s 2026-2035 storage development plan was approved by NEURC on April 7, 2026. That plan, together with the new tariff period, sets the framework for how the operator will market and run the system through the next several winter cycles. (nerc.gov.ua 1) (nerc.gov.ua 2)