Ukraine has sent documents for certification of a new operator of the gas transport system (GTS) of Ukraine to the Secretariat of the Energy Community, according to Energy and Environmental Protection Minister of Ukraine Oleksiy Orzhel.

"We have sent the documents to the Energy Community. I think we will get a fully certified gas operator of the GTS by December 26," he said during the presentation of the ministry's to-do list for 2019-2020.

According to the minister, Ukraine sticks to the timeline of the unbundling of transmission operations from National JSC Naftogaz Ukrainy which makes it possible to sign a new contract on gas transit in line with the European rules.

As reported, on November 22, 2019, the National Commission for Energy, Housing and Utilities Services Regulation (NCER) approved the preliminary decision on certification of Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine LLC (TSO of Ukraine).

On September 18, 2019, Ukraine's government updated its plan for unbundling Naftogaz. The new operator will be Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine LLC, a 100% subsidiary of JSC Ukrtransgaz, which has been maintaining the system since July 1, 2019 and has the needed personnel.

TSO of Ukraine will be transferred to NJSC Mahistralni Gazoprovody Ukrainy (MGU), which is now wholly owned by the Finance Ministry.

The government will also entrust the new operator with running the GTS over a 15-year period. The new operator will be able to start working at full capacity on January 1, 2020.