Artem Petrenko: Energy Club Always Maintains a High Standard

The Association of Gas Producers of Ukraine (AGPU) – the largest association of state-owned and private gas production enterprises – has been a partner of Energy Club since 2020.

The Association includes enterprises and groups of companies that collectively produce 92% of Ukrainian gas, including: Ukrgasvydobuvannya (Naftogaz Group), DTEK Naftogaz, Esco-Pivnich, Ukrnaftoburinnya, Zakhidnadraservice, Smart Energy, Geo Alliance Group, Poltava Petroleum Company, Stryinaftogaz, and Cub-Gas.

The main goal of the Association is to contribute to strengthening Ukraine’s energy and economic security, increasing gas production, developing the industry, and promoting it both domestically and abroad. The association actively collaborates with state authorities, market participants, and specialized organizations, adheres to high professional standards in its activities, and is always ready for new challenges.

Artem Petrenko, the Executive Director of the Association of Gas Producers of Ukraine, spoke about the benefits of partnering with Energy Club, provided examples where joint efforts successfully resolved important issues, and outlined relevant topics for future events and discussions.

“Energy Club is a unique business community, and I am very pleased that we have established close, partnership relations over many years. Colleagues from the Club bring together a wide range of energy enterprises, while the Association is specialized and focused on protecting the interests of gas producing companies in Ukraine,” noted Artem. “At the same time, we have much in common with Energy Club, as we both do everything possible to establish effective dialogue between business and government, create a competitive energy market, and implement best global practices and international standards into national legislation. Undoubtedly, our main task is not only to strengthen the state’s energy security today but also to lay the foundation for the sector’s further development and investment attraction.”

– How relevant and effective are the events organized by Energy Club?

“In my opinion, Energy Club not only keeps pace with the times but sometimes anticipates them. The organized events have various focuses; they are designed to discuss urgent issues and, importantly, find correct and compromise solutions. Even during this difficult period of martial law, the community continues its activities, while other associations and media platforms have ceased to function.

In various formats – online or offline – the Club always maintains a high standard. And this is an objective assessment considering the content of the events, the involved experts and speakers, audience reach, and, of course, effectiveness and efficiency. This testifies to the team’s professionalism and expertise.

Energy Club often raises topics related to gas production or those relevant to producers. Our Association regularly participates in events; we thank our colleagues for always keeping their finger on the pulse and inviting us.”

– Can you provide examples where, with the help of Energy Club, the Association managed to solve specific problems or regulate important issues?

“Over the five years of our partnership, there have been many examples where, through joint efforts, we implemented important initiatives that contributed to the development of the gas production sector and changes in regulatory rules. Specifically, we shared a common vision regarding the transparency of calculations for the balancing neutrality charge, as well as postponing its implementation. Furthermore, the Ukrainian gas market and the development of exchange trading of natural gas are always in our focus.”

– In your opinion, what current challenges require discussion on the Energy Club platform?

“The biggest challenge for Ukraine is the full-scale Russian war, and therefore, all issues related to business continuity remain relevant. Unfortunately, we cannot openly discuss all the painful topics and challenges faced by companies and bring them into the public domain, but we continue to work within the realities we face.

However, there are general relevant topics that Energy Club covers and that shape our future. These include the state of affairs in the energy sector, the restoration of critically important facilities, investment opportunities, preparation for and navigating the next autumn-winter period, etc.

In my view, it would be appropriate in the second half of the summer to hold an event on the prospects of the gas market’s functioning, analyzing the situation both domestically and globally. Hopefully, by then, it will be more or less clear what paradigms we will all be living in.”

– What could Energy Club organize in the future?

“The world is changing; instability and uncertainty are growing every day. On one hand, under such conditions, it is extremely difficult to predict and plan anything, as the agenda is very volatile. But on the other hand, it is a good time to develop concrete steps and take decisive actions. It seems to me that today, more than ever, it is necessary to be flexible and respond quickly to challenges. And the main task for future events is to model different scenarios and propose solutions, perhaps unconventional and unexpected ones.

In the context of Ukraine’s course towards EU accession, adopting the experience of member states, involving foreign specialists, and analyzing European directives and regulations are important. Energy Club can conduct discussions, seminars, and training in this area.”