Natural Gas Imports from Lithuania Make Up 18 Per Cent of Total March Gas Imports

In March, Estonia imported 58.7 million cubic metres of natural gas, of which 10.6 million cubic metres - 18.1 per cent of total imports - was comprised of gas bought from Lithuania by gas market participants. Eesti Gaas imported the remaining 81.9 per cent of the month’s total.

The proportion of natural gas imported from Lithuania has increased rapidly since the end of last year. In March, four companies imported natural gas from Lithuania – OÜ Baltic Energy Partners, Reola Gaas, Eesti Energia AS, and a new importer since the beginning of March, UAB Litgas.

While the total natural gas import remained lower in a year-on-year comparison for the two first months of the year, March saw a slight increase of 0.7 per cent.
50.5 million cubic metres of natural gas moved between Latvia and Russia through the Estonian gas transmission network, 24 per cent less than at the same time last year.

Last month, Elering rendered natural gas transmission service in the amount of 58.5 million cubic metres, one per cent less than in March last year. The volume of transmission service rendered to the biggest distribution network decreased by nine per cent, reaching 46.1 million cubic metres.

Based on the price formula provided by Eesti Gaas, Elering estimates that the average price of gas shipped to Estonia was 29.58 euros per megawatt-hour in March.