Cabinet approves list of authorized underground storage facilities for energy resources

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the list of underground facilities where energy resources will be stored that will be inaccessible to enemy fire, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said. This is one of the package of documents necessary to complete the reform of subsoil use in Ukraine.

"The list of underground facilities where accumulated oil, gas, other substances and materials will be stored has been approved. This will allow for the construction and maintenance of reliable storage facilities that are inaccessible to the enemy and other threats," the head of government said.

The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources explained that it is underground structures not related to the extraction of minerals that are in question.

Current legislation provides that the subsoil can be used not only for the extraction of minerals, but also for the construction of underground structures for various purposes – for example, for the storage of oil or gas, or for the burial of production waste or the prevention of flooding of territories after the closure of mines, etc.

However, until now there was no comprehensive list of such structures in Ukraine, which gave a chance to unscrupulous enterprises to interpret the norms at their own discretion.

"Today, the government is improving the legal field and eliminating gaps. We are removing opportunities for abuse and at the same time forming simple and clear work rules for everyone," commented Minister Ruslan Strilets.

In the reform of subsoil use, the government introduces such concepts as sustainability of development and rational use of natural resources. Among the key goals are raw material security and independence, as well as Ukraine's integration into the European Critical Raw Materials Act by 2030.

On the way to the EU, Ukraine strives to build a transparent European model of sustainable subsoil use. This is exactly what the initiated reform is aimed at. The quality of its implementation depends on whether Ukraine will have enough raw materials for the reconstruction of cities and settlements, Strilets highlighted.

On May 19, the Ministry of Environment approved regulations on the electronic cabinet of the subsoil user, which will allow obtaining licenses via the Internet.