Introduction of Digital Platforms in the Compressed Natural Gas Market in the Russian Federation and Problems of their Regulation

Compressed natural gas is one of the alternative fuels, as it has a number of advantages over gasoline and liquefied natural gas. From its inception until 2022, the CNG market was monopolized by the largest player in the CNG market in Russia - Gazprom Gas Engine Fuel. In 2023, the Metanika digital platform entered the market, which allowed private gas stations not included in Gazprom’s orbit to unite and resist the monopolist. The development of the Metanika digital platform can become a driver for the industry development of CNG. The study examined the implementation of digital platforms in the compressed natural gas market in the Russian Federation and the problems of their regulation. The first chapter looks at digital platforms and vertical contracts. The second chapter analyzes the gas motor fuel market in the Russian Federation: from vertical contracts to a digital platform. The third chapter is devoted to the digital platform “Metanika” as a driver for the development of the gas motor fuel market in the Russian Federation.