Spain took action to strengthen supply security natural gas Winter is the month when consumption is highest. The aim is to compress the country’s entire gas inlet and outlet infrastructure and storage. For him, EnagalarThe manager of the gas system has introduced new measures to make the most of major infrastructures in the middle of winter and prevent imbalances in the operations of energy companies from affecting the entire system.
Spain’s underground gas tanks have been 100% full since last August, far exceeding European Union demands to reach 90% by November. Supply guarantee measures due to the war in Ukraine and mitigating the effects of the energy crisis. The tanks of national regasification plants are also now full enough to contain half of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) stored in all EU countries. Despite this exceptional reserve situation, Spain Protect yourself by taking additional precautions, It is even above the demands set by Europe.
The winter gas season (November to March), which starts now, will be the first in which a number of extraordinary measures will be imposed that the EU requires to be applied to gas connections between countries. They will also be carried out to strengthen the operations of regasification plants in Spain national (those receiving gas by ship), as confirmed by Enagás sources.
don’t waste anything
Spain activated anti-hoarding mechanisms so they don’t get lost nests Loading and unloading by ship or contracted storage capacity in warehouses, factory tanks or the gas pipeline network if the winning companies are ultimately unable to do so. In cases where a gas company will not use the given capacity, Enagás has the possibility, exceptionally, to transfer this capacity to another company. Also, a organized secondary capacity market So companies can resell contracted capacity in underground storage or LNG plant tanks if they won’t eventually use it. The aim is to ensure that no capacity remains vacant or wasted due to company imbalances and that other companies can use it.
It was closed tightly after many years and has not been put into operation since its construction. El Musel factoryThe warehouse, located in the port of Gijón, was launched last summer to be used solely as a logistics warehouse for liquefied gas for re-export. However, if an exceptional operating state of the gas system is declared or one of the different crisis levels comes into play, the Government may decide that the Gijón plant will not only function as a warehouse but also be put into operation as a regasification plant. Inject gas into Spanish grids.
Guaranteed gas supply
“Currently available information on high levels of contraction and high filling of underground storages and LNG facilities at the beginning of winter reflects the dependence of users on the gas system, which allows us to face this period with difficulty. supply guarantee To meet national demand and strengthen European security of supply through exports through international connections and reloading of ships from Spanish terminals,” Enagás said in the operational forecast report for the winter season 2023-2024 sent to everyone.
In parallel, gas companies are already A total of 146 ships are planned to be unloaded at regasification facilities in Spain According to Enagás records, in the winter season it is above 143 in the same period last year. Moreover, it is a figure that is expected to increase in the coming months, with monthly tenders and intermonthly processes planned to be held until the end of the season (a total of 16 extra slot contracts for ships were signed through these mechanisms in the winter season last year). .
The government has tried to facilitate the exploitation of gas tanks through successive measures throughout the energy crisis. Discount on fees paid by energy companies to use them at a time when these reserves have become an important element. The administration is implementing partial exemptions for costs associated with extra injections to meet the EU requirement to fill tanks to 90%, and different fees paid by operators have also been reduced since last October. Storing or extracting gas in Spanish underground storage since last October and for the following twelve months.