Ensuring security of gas supply in an emergency

Measures to be taken in a gas emergency

In the event of a gas supply emergency resulting from a gas supply failure, the following actions can be taken in the order listed:

• Deployment of strategic reserve
• Basis for the use of the reserve: Decision of the Government of the Republic or the Minister of Climate in accordance with section 183 of the Emergency Act.
• The right to purchase strategic reserves is held by the gas supplier, who can purchase them from the Estonian Stockpiling Agency.
• The adoption of the following measures is based on a decision of the Government of the Republic pursuant to subsection 26² (3) of the Natural Gas Act.  Elering will then decide on an ongoing basis, based on the situation in the gas system, which of the above-listed measures to take at what point, according to the order given.
• Suppliers limit the gas consumption of their clients who are unprotected consumers in accordance with the orders received from Elering.
• Gas distribution networks limit the gas consumption of their clients who are unprotected consumers in accordance with the orders received from Elering (see more detailed description below).
• Elering orders gas distribution networks to disconnect all unprotected consumers.
• Elering introduces a protected consumer reserve.
• Introduction of solidarity agreements with neighbouring countries to ensure gas supply to protected consumers.

Limitation of unprotected consumers

1. After identifying signs of an emergency, Elering sends emails to the official general email address of the gas distribution networks and to the on-call employee, which contain the following:

• a) Elering has identified a gas supply disruption, which will likely lead to the declaration of an emergency by the Ministry of Climate.
• b) Elering has recommended that the Ministry of Climate and the Estonian Competition Authority make a proposal to the Government of the Republic for the implementation of measures of mandatory limitation of gas demand in accordance with subsection 26² (2) of the Natural Gas Act.
• c) According to Elering’s recommendation, group 5 consumers should be disconnected and group 6 consumers should be obligated to limit their consumption by x% of the average consumption of the previous generation and/or consumption day. Here and hereinafter: group numbers correspond to subsection 6¹ (1) of the Natural Gas Act.
• d) Order to immediately transmit the following messages:
• i) advance notice to group 5 gas consumers of this group;
• ii) advance notice to group 6 gas consumers of this group;
• iii) SMS messages to consumer contacts about emails received at the company’s general email address.
• e) Request to be prepared for the following activities in the coming hours:
• i) vdisruption of grid connection for group 5 gas consumers;
• ii) sending notices of the obligation to limit gas consumption to group 6 consumers;
• iii) SMS messages to consumer contacts about emails received at the company’s general email address.

2. Elering sends a message to the mobile phones of all members of the management board of gas distribution networks containing the following text: “We have sent an email to your company’s email address requesting an urgent response regarding the limitations of gas consumption affecting your gas network. We ask you to quickly review it and act accordingly. Gas system operator Elering AS”.

3.The Ministry of Climate, the Estonian Competition Authority and the Government of the Republic carry out the activities stipulated in section 26² of the Natural Gas Act, and the result is a decision of the Government of the Republic to disconnect gas consumers.

4. Elering sends a notice to the official general email address of the gas distribution networks and to the on-call dispatcher, which includes the following:

• a) Information about the decision made by the Government of the Republic, including a copy of the decision (copy only to the general email address)
• b) Orders:
  • i) send a notice regarding the disruption of grid connection to group 5;
  • ii) end a notice regarding limitation of gas consumption to group 6;
  • iii) immediately commence with disconnecting group 5 gas consumers;
  • iv) notify Elering about the completion of the disconnection of consumers or, if it has not been completed within six hours, inform Elering about the situation.

5. Elering sends an SMS message to the mobile phones of all members of the management board of distribution networks with the following message:

• Your company’s email address has received an email from the gas system operator Elering AS requesting an urgent response regarding the limitation of gas consumption. We ask you to quickly review it and act accordingly.