First integrated network development by GTS and Gasunie Deutschland
Gasunie subsidiaries Gas Transport Services B.V. (GTS, the Dutch national transmission system operator) and Gasunie Deutschland Services GmbH (Gasunie Deutschland, transmission system operator in Northern Germany) will carry out an integrated Open Season procedure to screen market interest for additional transmission capacity in their areas. The results of this process will form the main part of the planning basis for additional network expansion in Northern Germany and the Netherlands.
It is the first time in Europe that a cross-border network development approach will be carried out in this way by a fully unbundled cross-border asset owner. This integrated approach aims to synchronize capacity development on both sides of the border and, as a result, will provide business opportunities for customers. In offering this integral concept of network development to its customers, Gasunie fully recognizes the cross-border nature that characterizes todays natural gas marketing business to a large extent.
Competitive gas infrastructure market
The significance of international transport is increasing due to gas market growth and due to the shift from indigenous gas supply to imports from countries outside the EU, such as Norway, Russia and various LNG supply areas. Gasunie Deutschland experiences increasing interest of shippers for transport capacity in its system. Market players consider new gas projects in Northern Germany, ranging from power plants to storages, that all will require access to natural gas transport system. Also, declining indigenous gas production in Northern Germany will have to be substituted, leading to growth in demand for additional entry capacities. In addition, the advanced market opening in Germany leads to competition between gas suppliers, who diversify their portfolio and, consequently, demand more gas transport capacity. A high competitive pressure in the gas infrastructure market is a result of these market trends. Also in the Netherlands the market demand for transport capacity is steadily rising, partly due to increasing demand from power stations, LNG-development and storage connections. A large investment project (over 1 billion euros) for network expansion, which is based on an earlier Open Season, is already ongoing in the Netherlands.
The initial phase of market screening is planned to be launched in the last quarter of 2008 in order to compose an aggregated picture of market demand on the basis of preliminary responses of interested companies at the end of 2008. Firm capacity bookings by shippers are foreseen by autumn 2009. Gasunie aims to synchronise its network expansion with network expansion programmes of neighbouring network operators.
Both GTS and Gasunie Deutschland are full subsidiaries of Gasunie, an independent gas infrastructure company. GTS is the Dutch national Transmission operator. Gasunie Deutschland is at the moment the only independent gas transporter in Germany. The TSO’s work closely together for the management and the operation of their networks and are developing an integrated approach for the further development of the transmission grids on an economic basis. They ensure sufficient transport capacity, balance the grid and create and maintain connections to other grids.
