On 25 April, the EU Energy Platform for the joint purchasing of gas – via its AggregateEU service – will launch the first call for placing a demand to buy gas. This marks an important milestone in order to prepare for next winter and the storage filling season.
This requires that interested companies from EU Member States and the Contracting Parties of the Energy Community (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, North Macedonia, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia and Ukraine) finalise their registration with the service provider, PRISMA and subscribe to the AggregateEU service by 20 April.
The submitted demand will subsequently be aggregated and ultimately matched with sellers’ bids through a tender. Each tendering round – every two months over the next 12-month period – will last approximately two weeks. Both the type of delivery, liquefied natural gas (LNG) or national balancing point and the date should be indicated by a company when placing its gas demand.
“The more participants we have, the higher the chances of finding attractive gas deals,” said Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič, who leads the work of the EU Energy Platform. “Let us not forget that our energy-intensive industrial sectors have dubbed the past year as a year of survival. High energy prices have forced many to keep production levels below capacity. We must reverse this trend. The EU Energy Platform has been designed to benefit our industry and our households. And it has been developed in collaboration with industry so that it can produce results in record time.”
According to the Commission’s statement, the EU Energy Platform offers an opportunity, to smaller entities in particular, to secure stable supplies of gas at lower prices, by reaching new markets and suppliers. This could be achieved with the assistance of “central buyers” or “agents on behalf” who will provide support in negotiating and transporting gas supplies.
While the purchasing of gas by companies is entirely voluntary, EU Member States must ensure that local companies submit their demand for an equivalent of 15 per cent of each Member State’s gas storage filling obligations, as set out in the gas storage regulation.
The window to place demand to buy gas will be open until 2 May.
*In line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.
