ENTSOG Gas Regional Investment Plan South 2017 - Main Report

The role of the UGS and LNG Terminals in the South Region during high demand periods (January 2017) According to “EU strategy for liquefied natural gas and gas storage”   9) , “gas storage facilities, play a key role on optimizing gas infrastructure use and balancing the system. Robust and sufficient gas storage facilities are crucial to energy security and resilience in times of major supply disruption”. With reference to the South Region, gas storages and LNG terminals are of paramount importance to ensure resilience of the gas system, on top of the intercon- nection capacities. Even though there are more tools, such as linepack, which contribute to modulate demand fluctuations, when dealing with larger fluctuations or even supply disruptions, due to storage dimensions, UGS and LNG terminals have higher relevance. In Spain and Portugal, considering the number of LNG terminals, the high storage capacity in their LNG tanks and the share of demand covered by LNG in this region, variations on LNG terminals’ send-out play a very important role regarding demand coverage and seasonal fluctuations. In France, the size and number of UGS, and the seasonal variation of demand give UGS a key role to provide security of supply during peak days. Several increases of send-out during cold snaps can be observed: this extra flexibility provided by LNG terminals is essential in order to maintain suitable values of remaining flexibility in Spain and Portugal. It is important to highlight the responsi- bility of shippers regarding the availability of gas in these infrastructures in order to face demand fluctuations or severe situations such as cold weather conditions or supply disruptions.

GWh/d

LNG stock (GWh/d)

Entry / Exit flows to the Spanish gas system

1,000 900 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 1,700 1,500 1,400 1,300 1,200 1,100 1,600

18,000

16,000

14,000

12,000

Role of LNG

10,000

8,000

6,000

4,000

-100 -200 0

2,000

0

07.01.17

31.01.17

01.01.17

27.02.17

19.01.17

10.01.17

16.01.17

13.01.17

25.01.17

22.01.17

28.01.17

21.02.17

04.01.17

15.02.17

24.02.17

12.02.17

18.02.17 VIP Iberico

09.02.17

03.02.17

06.02.17

VIP Pirineos

Total demand

Algeria

LNG Stock

LNG Regasification

UGS

LNG Send-Out average 2016

Figure 7.5: LNG stock values and send-out of Regasification Terminals in Spain for January 2017 and February 2017 (Source: ENTSOG TP)

 9) COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS (Published 16/02/2016) https://ec.europa.eu/energy/sites/ener/files/documents/1_EN_ACT_part1_v10-1.pdf

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Gas Regional Investment Plan of the South Region 2017