Open Grid Europe, Germany’s leading TSO, and Belgian TSO Fluxys will be offering a bundled cross-border capacity product from 14 September 2011. The product is to simplify significantly the process for market participants to buy firm day-ahead gas transmission capacity between the Zeebrugge Hub in Belgium and the NetConnect Germany Virtual Trading Point (NCG VTP).
The bundled day-ahead capacity will be made available through capsquare, the electronic platform initiated by Fluxys and French TSO GRTgaz for buying and selling capacity. A simple click-and-book system allows quick and convenient handling: market participants obtain in one single step from both network operators the capacities needed for cross-border gas transmission.
As from today interested shippers can register with capsquare to participate in buying the day-ahead bundled capacity. Shippers should start registration with capsquare no later than 26 August 2011 in order to be able to make bookings as from launch of the capacity product on 14 September 2011. Registration as shipper with Open Grid Europe and Fluxys is required as well. The bundled day-ahead capacity will be offered on a first committed, first served basis every day between 12:00 and 16:00 CET. The product will first be offered on 14 September 2011 for the next day, 15 September 2011.
“ This trend-setting cooperation greatly simplifies cross-border gas transmission to the benefit of our customers and makes the European hubs move even closer together. The collaboration with Fluxys underscores our pioneering role in the development of market areas ,” said Stephan Kamphues, Chairman of the Open Grid Europe Board of Management . “ Open Grid Europe and Fluxys started already in 2010 talks to develop pragmatic solutions to facilitate cross-border trade. One of the main obstacles is the lack of harmonisation between the neighbouring regulatory systems .”
“ This cooperation with Open Grid Europe is a major step in offering a joint environment to the community of shippers and traders to make optimum use of interconnection capacity between the German and Belgian markets ,” said Walter Peeraer, Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO of Fluxys . “From the very onset it was our vision to develop capsquare into a multi-TSO platform with a European scope. A thorough streamlining of national regulatory approaches would significantly help the process of making the integrated North-Western European gas market come true .”
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Source: Fluxys, August 1, 2011;