Sustainable development and innovations of Ukraine’s gas transmission system in the context of European integration

Abstract

The relevance of the article lies in the need to rethink the role and development directions of Ukraine's gas transportation system (GTS) in the context of geoeconomic shifts and declining gas transit volumes. The purpose of the work is to outline the state of the GTS of Ukraine in the context of European integration, to summarize international experience of its modernization possibilities and to substantiate practical recommendations for the implementation of innovative, environmental, digital and legal solutions to increase the efficiency, sustainability and compliance of the GTS with European standards. The study used a set of complementary scientific methods. The analysis method was used to assess the current state of the GTS of Ukraine and identify the main problems of its functioning. Using comparative analysis, approaches to modernizing transport and energy systems in the countries of the European Union and in Ukraine were compared to identify effective practices. The system method enabled considering the GTS as a complex socio-economic and technical-ecological system with interconnected elements. The results of the study enabled an assessment of the current state of the GTS of Ukraine and the identification of its main problems: physical deterioration of the infrastructure, low-capacity utilization, limited financial resources, and instability of the investment environment. Based on the analysis of the experience of the European Union countries, effective approaches to its modernization, combining technical transformation, digitalization of management and environmental solutions, were systematized. The role of digitalization, financial mechanisms and harmonization of the legal field with European Union norms as the main tools for increasing transparency, reliability and stability of the system during economic turbulence was characterized. The conclusion was formulated that the development of the GTS of Ukraine is possible only under the condition of a comprehensive approach: infrastructure renewal, implementation of smart monitoring and automation systems, use of green finance and implementation of European Union norms into national legislation, which guarantees efficiency, environmental safety and integration into the European energy space.