Natural gas imports grow 17 per cent in first quarter

In the first quarter of this year, the amount of natural gas imported to Estonia totalled 220.8 million cubic metres, which is 17 per cent more than the same period last year. Lower air temperatures than last year were the main reason behind the growth in gas imports.

In March, 59.9 million cubic metres of natural gas were imported, which is two percent more than the same time last year. The volume of gas imported from Lithuania was only 0.3 million cubic metres, compared with 10.6 million cubic metres a year ago. The reason for the fall in gas imports from Lithuania was the higher prices on the GET Baltic Lithuanian gas exchange as compared with gas purchased from Gazprom. Gas was imported from Lithuania in March by Baltic Energy Partners and Alexela Energia. The remaining gas was purchased by Eesti Gaas from Gazprom.  

Elering estimated the average price of natural gas purchased from Gazprom in March to be 15.17 euros per megawatt-hours. The average price for the same period on the GET Baltic Lithuanian gas exchange was 16.56 euros per megawatt-hour. On the Kaasupörssi gas exchange in Finland, comparable prices for last month ranged between 13.41 and 19.44 euros per megawatt-hour.

All natural gas imported entered Estonia via Karksi, and gas quantities ranged between 0.99-2.81 million cubic metres per day. No disruptions in cross-border supplies were reported.

The volume of natural gas network services rendered by Elering totalled 59.8 million cubic metres in March. Of this, the volume of services rendered to the largest natural gas distribution network – AS Gaasivõrgud – totalled 50.0 million cubic metres, or 84 per cent of the total volume. The estimated transmission pipeline gas reserve capacity fell year-on-year by nine per cent to 4.3 million cubic metres. The reserve capacity fell by 1.8 per cent in comparison with February.

The natural gas transit pipeline passing through south-east Estonia saw 86.3 million cubic metres of natural gas passing through from Latvia to Russia in March. The Inčukalns underground reservoir in Latvia was 30 per cent full at the end of March.