Spain has stepped up measures to secure natural gas supply as winter consumption climbs. The objective is to optimize the nation’s gas inlet and outlet infrastructure, including storage facilities, to prevent imbalances in energy company operations from impacting the wider system. The manager of the gas network, Enagás, has introduced new steps to maximize the use of major infrastructures during the heart of winter and safeguard the entire system’s stability.
Spain’s underground storage facilities have been at full capacity since the previous August, well above the European Union benchmark of 90 percent by November. This proactive stance responds to the energy challenges intensified by the Ukraine conflict and the broader energy crisis. Storage at national regasification plants remains ample enough to accommodate a substantial portion of the liquefied natural gas stored across the EU. Even with this extraordinary reserve level, Spain is taking extra precautions, exceeding European expectations to ensure reliability during the cold season.
The winter gas period from November through March marks the first time a number of exceptional EU-mandated steps will be applied to cross-border gas connections. They are also geared toward strengthening the operation of Spain’s national regasification facilities that receive gas by sea, as confirmed by sources at Enagás.
don’t waste anything
Anticipating seasonal demand, Spain activated anti-hoarding mechanisms to prevent capacity from going unused in loading and unloading operations by ships, or in contracted storage and pipeline networks if contracted users do not utilize it. When a gas company declines to use allocated capacity, Enagás can, on an exceptional basis, reallocate it to another company. A secondary capacity market has been organized so companies can resell contracted capacity in underground storage or LNG plant tanks if not ultimately utilized. The aim is to ensure no capacity remains idle due to imbalances and that other operators can tap into it.
There has been careful consolidation of capacity use in recent years. The Musel facility, a portside warehouse in Gijón, was recently repurposed as a logistics hub for liquefied gas destined for re-export. If an exceptional operating state is declared or a different crisis level comes into play, the government may decide to activate the facility as a regasification plant to inject gas into Spanish grids. This provides an additional avenue to bolster supply when needed.
Guaranteed gas supply
At present, the information available about high storage levels and strong injections into underground facilities and LNG assets at the start of winter illustrates the system’s dependence on reliable operation to meet national demand. The aim is to secure supply and reinforce European security of supply through exports via international connections and steaming ships from Spanish terminals, according to Enagás in its winter-season forecast for 2023-2024.
Gas companies are already planning. A total of 146 ships are expected to unload at Spanish regasification facilities during the winter season, higher than the 143 ships in the same period the previous year. This figure is likely to rise as the season progresses, with ongoing monthly tenders and inter-month processes planned through the end of the season. In the prior year, these mechanisms yielded 16 extra ship slots. This trend underlines the emphasis on maintaining robust import capacity during the cold months.
The government has pursued a series of measures to maximize the use of gas reserves during the energy crisis. Fees charged to energy companies for using underground storage have been partially reduced, while incentives have been put in place to support additional injections needed to meet the EU target of 90 percent tank filling. Storage and retrieval activities in Spanish underground facilities are being encouraged through the coming twelve months to help maintain a steady supply line for winter needs.
These strategic moves align with a broader aim: to keep Spain’s gas system resilient, ready to meet domestic demand while contributing to European energy security through coordinated operations and supply flexibility that can respond quickly to changing conditions.