German TSOs Consult on Capacity Expansions

German gas transmission system operators (TSOs), through their association FNB Gas, have published proposals for incremental capacity projects.

In order to fully provide the 26 GW of transport capacity requested by shippers in their non-binding demand indications, available compressor capacity needs to be increased by up to 75 MW, said FNB Gas October 19. This would imply investments of up to €215mn ($253mn), it added.

“With the additional incremental capacity at cross-border and market area interconnection points, the TSOs will meet the shippers’ future requirements for gas infrastructure,” said FNB Gas managing director Inga Posch. It has invited market participants to take part in a consultation, with responses due to FNB Gas in two months' time. Afterwards, the TSOs will submit their incremental capacity project proposal to authorities for approval. As parts of the proposals affect Austria and Poland, their authorities are also involved.

The 13 TSOs in FNB Gas operate some 40,000 km of pipelines and include Ontras in eastern Germany.

Ontras and the Polish TSO Gaz-System also announced joint plans to increase bi-directional capacity, costing €2.6mn on the German and €1mn on the Polish side, following non-binding demand indications received in April-May 2017. Gaz-System is holding a consultation which also closes December 19.

Ten-Year Plan

Meanwhile, following FNB Gas' publication in April 2017 of its draft 2016-26 gas network development plan (NDP), a final version of the latter was published October 16.

This earmarks €3.9bn to expand infrastructure over the period to 2026. The plans include 823 km of new gas transmission pipelines and a total of 429 MW in additional compressor capacity, plus new measures to boost the pressure on the network of pipeline operator GTG Nord for southbound transport and providing more entry capacity for withdrawals from the Nuttermoor storage facility. TSOs also plan to publish an addendum to their NDP, once all permits and approvals required for building and operating Nord Stream 2 are available.

Mark Smedley