Conexus has started a public consultation about several documents related with operation of Inčukalns UGS

The unified natural gas transmission and storage system operator JSC “Conexus Baltic Grid” has prepared changes in usages rules of Inčukalns Underground Gas Storage (Inčukalns UGS) for public consultation, has elaborated daft regulation for long-term storage capacity and pumping capacity priority auctions, including draft regulations for auction of provision of natural gas volume and availability in the storage.

The most important changes in the storage usage rules affect the procedure of using the storage capacity products, and new storage capacity products are introduced.

Also, the storage overload or jams management principle is changed which usually was the most topical in natural gas pumping season in the conditions of high demand. From now, the pumping of natural gas will be organized on a ‘first come, first served’ basis, thus ensuring the stability of planned flows. The new rules comprise also restrictions and provisions for submission of nominations and transfer of stock among users’ products. Provisions and restrictions to make corrections in appropriations in the storage are introduced.  As to the operation of Inčukalns UDG – the procedure for determining and forecasting the natural gas volume to be stored during storage cycle is changed, and principles for determining the start and end dates of pumping and removing seasons are specified.

JSC “Conexus Baltic Grid” has elaborated a draft auction regulation which prescribes the procedure how storage capacity is to be reserves and granted within the framework of long-term product.

JSC “Conexus Baltic Grid” has elaborated an auction regulation which prescribes granting the pumping capacity priority to ensure application of transparent capacity division mechanism as to pumping of natural gas to Inčukalns UGS. The changes are needed to regulate the procedure of capacities reservation in the conditions of high demand during the natural gas pumping season.

At the same time, draft regulations are elaborated for an auction about storage and provision of availability of active volume of natural gas in the storage in 2020-2021 in accordance with Article 12.1 of Cabinet Regulations No. 312 “Procedures for the Supply of Energy Users and Sale of Heating Fuel During Declared Energy Crisis and in Case of Endangerment to the State” of 19 April 2011.

Currently, public consultation is commenced on all elaborated documents: “Draft rules for usage of Inčukalns UGS”, “Draft regulation of auction for two-years grouped capacity product”, “Draft regulation of auction about storage and provision of availability of active volume of natural gas in the storage in 2020-2021”; “Draft regulation of auction for pumping capacity priority product”. They are published at the homepage of JSC “Conexus Baltic Grid”.  After receiving the suggestions and comments within the framework of public consultation about the documents elaborated by JSC “Conexus Baltic Grid” and after specification thereof, it is planned to present the documents to the Public Utilities Commission.