Conexus takes steps to increase natural gas volumes in storage

The unified natural gas transmission and storage operator Conexus Baltic Grid AS (hereinafter - Conexus) informs that it has requested the Public Utilities Commission (Regulator) to make changes to the regulation of the Inčukalns Underground Gas Storage (UGS) and not to apply the natural gas stock transfer product to the storage users. Conexus will thus provide a higher volume of natural gas at Inčukalns UGS.

The Inčukalns UGS regulation provide stimulates system users to withdraw as much natural gas as possible from Inčukalns UGS by the end of the withdrawal season to ensure the sustainable operation of the storage facility. Conexus concludes that, given the actual situation and the risks to the security of natural gas supply, no incentive for a stock transfer product is necessary at this time.

In view of the above, Conexus requests a modification to the Storage regulation to allow system users who has natural gas stock in storage at the end of the 2021/2022 storage cycle to be able to transfer their stocks to the next storage cycle within capacity products booked for the next storage cycle without having to apply the stock transfer product cost. This will allow users to transfer their stocks to the next storage cycle if capacity has been booked for the next storage cycle, reducing storage costs.

In addition, Conexus is coordinating day-to-day operations with the natural gas transmission system operators of neighbouring Lithuania, Estonia, and Finland, namely AB Amber Grid, Elering AS and Gasgrid Finland Oy. The TSOs point out that there are no supply disruptions in the current situation.