Gas trade in Gasunie grid area up by almost 70%

Traded volumes on the three gas hubs within the Gasunie grid area increased from 9 billion m3 per month to over 15 billion m3 per month in 2009. Half of this volume was traded on the Dutch TTF hub. The number of registered participants on the TTF also showed a significant increase, from around 70 to over 90. The three gas-trading hubs within the Gasunie grid are L-gas 1 of Aequamus and the GASPOOL hub in northern Germany and the TTF in the Netherlands.
These figures can be seen from analyses in Transport Insight 2010, which was published today by Gasunie Transport Services, Gasunie's new international transport service label. Transport Insight provides customers and other stakeholders of Gasunie's network-operating subsidiaries with an annual behind-the-scenes view of transport operations and market development.

GASPOOL hub
The German GASPOOL hub trades in high-calorific gas (H-gas) and became active on 1 October 2009, reducing the number of German H-gas market areas to three. By providing the virtual trading point, the GASPOOL hub, and covering over 300 gas grids in Germany, this market area creates the potential for trading in approximately half of the total H-gas consumed in Germany. Traded volumes have doubled in comparison with the three separate market areas prior to 1 October 2009.

TTF
On the TTF, both traded and net volume grew in 2009. The net volume reached a size of about 100 million m3 per day in the winter period, comparable to average annual gas demand on the Dutch domestic market. The volume shows a seasonal pattern similar to the situation on the NBP, by which one can conclude that the TTF is becoming a mature market place.

The remarkable increase in the number of traders in summer 2009 can be attributed to the fact that the Netherlands introduced a single gas quality as from 1 July 2009. Before this date, two separate markets existed, one for H-gas and one for L-gas. Since the introduction of quality conversion as an integrated system service in the Netherlands, shippers no longer have to book this service separately. This has removed a major obstacle, resulting in improved market access and a higher service level for Gasunie Transport Services.