Natural Gas Imports from Lithuania Represented 0.6 Per Cent of the Total Gas Import in December

In December, 68.9 million cubic metres of natural gas was imported to Estonia via gas transmission network, of which 400,000 cubic metres, that is 0.6 per cent, represented gas imported from Lithuania by OÜ Baltic Energy Partners. It was the first time in history when natural gas was imported to Estonia from Lithuania using a different shipping approach.

Baltic Energy Partners sold just over half, that is 201,000 of the 400,000 cubic metres of gas imported from Lithuania, to consumers. The remainder was sold by balance provider AS Eesti Energia.

AS Eesti Gaas, until now the only company importing natural gas to Estonia, sold 99.4 per cent of the gas in December.

Elering’s Chairman of the Board Taavi Veskimägi said that the gas transmission system operator supports new gas sellers coming to the market as well as activeness in searching for alternative natural gas shipping channels. “In the forthcoming months we hope to an increase in alternative shipping as well as in gas traders. There are years of work ahead in developing a regional gas market in order to allow for gas to be used as a primary fuel equally with other energy sources. It is the system operator’s responsibility to conduct this.”

In 2014, the total amount of natural gas imported to Estonia was 538.1 million cubic metres. The previous year the import capacity was 689.5 million cubic metres. At the same time the import capacity in December was 9.8 per cent larger compared to December 2013.

Estimated gas reserve of gas transmission pipeline represented about 4.4 million cubic metres in December.

EG Võrguteenus rendered natural gas transmission service for up to 68.4 million cubic metres in December, of which 59.2 million cubic metres was for distribution networker AS Gaasivõrgud. Another 9.2 million cubic metres was divided amongst smaller distribution networks.