GDF storage arm to auction extra 400 GWh capacity for 2007
Another 400 GWh of French storage capacity will be auctioned on 15th May, GDF’s major infrastructure unit, Direction des Grandes Infrastructures (DGI), said. A total of 200 GWh in GDF’s Centre storage grouping will be made available for injection until the end of winter 2007/2008. The same volume will also be released for the Salins Sud grouping.
Another cavern at Etrez expected in near future
In addition to this extra release, another salt cavern at GDF’s Etrez storage site in France is waiting for authorisation, executives at DGI told Heren Energy this month. “The decision could be made very quickly,” Jean-Marc Leroy, director of DGI said.
The results of final testing on the cavern are being analysed now. The infrastructure company plans to add another cavern every 18 months at Etrez.
The new capacity is to be offered to the market through an auction process, as will all the new capacity added by DGI. It has already auctioned 4 TWh (351 million cubic metres) for this storage year, out of total current capacity of 9.6 billion cubic metres. In addition, DGI expects the Trois Fontaines development to come on stream next year. Trois Fontaines is a depleted gas field structure with capacity of around 80 million cubic metres. DGI is at the stage of evaluating construction costs.
A trading platform for storage capacity on the secondary market is being developed and will be launched in the next few weeks, Leroy said. The aim is to allow storage customers to trade directly on the platform and enable a secondary market price to emerge for storage capacity.
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