18.3.2022
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
L 90/123
(7)
Storage is used as a means of ensuring a balance between the amount of natural gas in the network and the amount consumed, for example in the event of supply disruption or a peak in demand linked to a cold spell in winter.
Together with pipelines and compressors, storage also makes it possible to deliver gas within the transmission network, particularly in the event of congestion.
(8)
Storage operators offer storage capacity to natural gas suppliers operating in retail and wholesale markets and to transmission system operators.
The willingness of natural gas suppliers to pay for storage capacity depends on the difference in the natural gas price between summer and winter (‘the spread’).
Natural gas production levels are relatively stable throughout the year, whereas gas consumption varies considerably depending on temperature.
(9)
There are 14 storage facilities in France, 11 of which are in operation (2), and 3 storage operators: — Storengy, a wholly owned subsidiary of ENGIE, owns and operates 12 sites, 3 of which are on standby and 9 in operation.
The latter account for a working volume of 102,1 TWh (74 % of total national capacity); — Teréga (formerly TIGF), owned by Snam (40,5 %), GIC (31,5 %), EDF Investissement (18 %) and Predica (10 %), runs a site in operation with a working volume of 33,1 TWh (24 % of total national capacity); — Géométhane, owned by Storengy (50 %), CNP (49 %) and Géostock (1 %), runs a site in operation with a working volume of 3,3 TWh (2 % of total national capacity).
(10)
Seasonal variations in natural gas prices have decreased since 2009.
Until 2011, the spread was high enough to induce suppliers to take up all available storage capacity.
Since 2011, the spread has been insufficient to cover the storage price offered by operators (spread of EUR 1,5-2/MWh at a price of EUR 6-7/MWh).
As a result, storage capacity has not been fully taken up since 2010-2011.
Three sites were run at reduced capacity (‘placed on standby’) in 2014 and 2015, while the take-up rate of the storage infrastructure in operation was 63 % in 2017-2018.
2.2.
Legal and regulatory framework
(11)
To safeguard security of supply, France initially introduced a decree in 2014 to strengthen the obligations on natural gas suppliers to build up natural gas stocks (3).
It subsequently took the view that this system had several flaws, and some natural gas suppliers brought an action challenging the legality of the decree.
In the light of this, France decided to introduce an adjusted measure, which is the subject of this Decision (‘the measure in question’).
(12)
Article 33 of Directive 2009/73/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (4) allows Member States to regulate storage infrastructure.
Natural gas storage is also one of the measures that Member States may put in place to comply with the obligations arising from Regulation (EU) 2017/1938 of the European Parliament and of the Council (5) under the conditions laid down therein, in particular the obligation to safeguard security of supply for national customers while ensuring the proper and continuous functioning of the internal market in natural gas.
(2) There are 12 sites in operation if Lussagnet and Izaute are considered separately.
The latter belong to Teréga and share some technical installations.
For this reason, they are sometimes considered to be a single facility (e.g. multiannual energy programme (PPE) 2019-2028) and sometimes two separate facilities (e.g. PPE 2016-2023).
(3) Decree No 2014-328 of 12 March 2014 amending Decree No 2006-1034 of 21 August 2006 on access to underground natural gas storage facilities (décret n°2014-328 du 12 mars 2014 modifiant le décret n°2006-1034 du 21 août 2006 relatif à l’accès aux stockages souterrains de gaz naturel).
(4) Directive 2009/73/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009 concerning common rules for the internal market in natural gas and repealing Directive 2003/55/EC (OJ L 211, 14.8.2009, p. 94).
(5) Regulation (EU) 2017/1938 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2017 concerning measures to safeguard the security of gas supply and repealing Regulation (EU) No 994/2010 (OJ L 280, 28.10.2017, p. 1).