The North West European Network TSOs are currently drafting their Gas Regional Investment Plan 2013 (NW GRIP 2013). It will be the second edition of this regional statement on long-term gas infrastructure development.

Current developments necessitate an update of the tariff structure of Gasunie Deutschland Transport Services GmbH (GUD) as of 1 January 2013. GUD today published the new pricelist. Material changes relate to the introduction of an consistent tariff for entry points, only differentiated between H Gas and L Gas. The planned differentiation between cross-border interconnection points and regular entry points is not applicable any more.
 

The Link4Hubs partners Gasunie Deutschland Transport Services GmbH (GUD), Energinet.dk and Gas Transport Services B.V (GTS) introduced in July 2010 Link4Hubs, the first European cross-border service for firm day ahead transmission of natural gas with a combined booking and nomination process. In the past years this innovative service opened up new possibilities for cross-border gas transport to shippers active in the grids of the three participating TSOs. Within the development of a pan-European capacity platform, GUD as well as Energinet.dk and GTS play an important role. Bundled services such as provided via Link4Hubs will be an integrated part of the new capacity platform which will become effective as of 1 April 2013.

As a consequence the Link4Hubs partners will discontinue the Link4Hubs Platform as of 01 January 2013 (last booking window on 28 December 2012 for the gas days 29, 30 and 31 December 2012).
 

As of 1 November 2012 Gasunie Ostseeanbindungsleitung (GOAL) as new German TSO within the Gasunie group starts marketing natural gas transport capacities on the Nordeuropäische Erdgasleitung (NEL). Gasunie holds a 20 percent stake in the pipeline which feeds in natural gas volumes at Lubmin near Greifswald (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania) and transports it to Rehden (Lower Saxony).

“The direct link to major natural gas reserves in Russia strengthens the position of Gasunie in its role as North-West European gas roundabout – thus serving our customers as well as natural gas consumers in Germany”, states Jens Schumann, Managing Director of Gasunie Deutschland. NEL will transport up to 20 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year – which is approximately a fifth of Germany’s annual gas consumption. GOAL’s investment in developing the gas infrastructure contributes actively to guarantee security of supply as well as more liquidity in the European gas market.

Since it was necessary to adjust the NEL-route south of Hamburg on a circa 40 kilometers long section, which is expected to be completed in autumn 2013, the full transport capacity will be available at that time. By bypassing the pipeline section that is still under construction via existing pipeline systems NEL can already now offer partial capacities to the market. In Heidenau, southwest of Hamburg, will be the connection point with the Gasunie system. From here Gasunie will transport natural gas as of autumn 2013 to areas with high demand in Germany, Denmark and Sweden, as well in direction UK, France, the Netherlands and Belgium.