Amid a price surge on global hydrocarbon markets, the price of Ukrainian-produced compressed natural gas (CNG) at filling stations is half that of other fuel types, making a switch to methane economically viable, at least for municipal transport.
That's according to former Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine (GTSOU) head Serhii Makogon, who wrote about it on Facebook Tuesday.
"Of course, you can't switch all transport to methane overnight. But right now is exactly the right moment to start, at least with municipal transport - buses, utility vehicles. This would immediately lower transport costs for cities and communities," he wrote.
According to Makogon, methane at car gas-filling compressor stations (CGFCS) currently costs UAH 49 per cubic meter, unlike regular auto gas, making it nearly half the price of diesel or gasoline.
"Ukraine is currently fully self-sufficient in methane. Industrial gas consumption has fallen sharply - the metals industry is effectively at a standstill (...) When you buy methane at a CGFCS, you're paying Ukrainian gas producers, not oil product importers," Makogon said.
He explained that another argument in favor of methane is that it doesn't need to be transported by fuel trucks. Methane is delivered to CGFCS via underground gas pipelines, providing an additional guarantee of safety and uninterrupted fuel supply, even in frontline cities.
According to Ukravtogaz, a subsidiary of NJSC Naftogaz of Ukraine, the price of compressed natural gas sold through Ukravtogaz's CGFCS network has stood at UAH 48.60 per cubic meter since April 9, 2026.
Ukravtogaz operates 90 CGFCS facilities across Ukraine with a combined capacity of 687.5 million cubic meters. The company currently has all the necessary technical capacity and personnel to convert vehicles to CNG use and to service vehicles already running on CNG.
