Conexus: we contributed to the build-up of natural gas reserves in the last Inčukalns UGS cycle

Data compiled by the single natural gas transmission and storage system operator Conexus Baltic Grid JSC (hereinafter - Conexus) show that at the end of the 2021/2022 withdrawal season of the Inčukalns Underground Gas Storage (UGS), the natural gas stock in the storage is 7.4 TWh of active natural gas, which is 47% more than last year. This amount of natural gas in storage is due to the fact that for the first time, in February this year, natural gas injection started simultaneously with natural gas withdrawal, creating natural gas reserves in storage and ensuring continuity of natural gas availability.

Last injection season, due to high natural gas prices, the storage facility was filled to 80% of the available technical capacity for the 2021/2022 storage cycle, withdrawing 14.7 TWh of natural gas during the withdrawal season.

Conexus, taking into account the geopolitical conditions in Europe and energy security risks, created the possibility for system users to start physically injecting natural gas into the storage already from 26 February this year, increasing the natural gas reserves in the region during the withdrawal cycle. In total, 3.6 TWh of natural gas was injected into storage between 26 February and the end of the withdrawal season on 30 April, bringing the current natural gas storage to more than 7.8 TWh.

The highest daily natural gas withdrawal of 236.3 GWh in the last storage cycle was on 11 January, and the highest monthly withdrawal of the season was in January at 4.8 TWh.

According to the measurements and calculations made, Conexus has determined the ability of Inčukalns UGS to provide the maximum amount of active natural gas to be stored, or the technical capacity of the storage facility, for the 2022/2023 storage cycle. The technical capacity for the 2022/2023 storage cycle has been set at 24,074 TWh.