European TSOs Launch New Company

European TSOs Launch New Company

On the 1st of January 2013, “PRISMA European Capacity Platform” will become the new brand for European gas capacity booking.

Moreover, nineteen TSOs from Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands will then be the shareholders of the future PRISMA European Capacity Platform company subject to DG Comp clearing the transaction. The alliance was initially formed by network operators from Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany and the Netherlands and has since been joined by network operators from Austria and Italy.

The new joint capacity platform is a major step towards an integrated European gas market linking the gas markets of seven different countries in the core of Europe. The new PRISMA European Capacity Platform is based on the experience of the operation of three existing platforms in Europe: Capsquare, Link4Hubs as well as TRAC-X. The TRAC-X company, operator of the German primary capacity platform TRAC-X primary, will then be legally transformed into “PRISMA European Capacity Platform GmbH”.

The upcoming changes are part of the broader strategy of European TSOs to bundle their collective experience in the field of capacity booking platforms in order to create a joint European capacity platform. The aim is the early implementation of ENTSOG’s Network Code on Capacity Allocation Mechanisms (NC CAM), the future market rules for allocating transport capacity.

“We developed this name which perfectly fits our European approach,” said Götz Lincke, Managing Director of the company. “We believe, PRISMA meets all the requirements to provide reliability, stability and openness while connecting the European capacity markets. The new name PRISMA also strongly reflects the company’s European focus. In addition, we will focus on making the booking experience for each user even easier with state-of-the-art technology and enhanced service capacity.”

The platform will be able to handle different capacity products, offer auction mechanisms and serve different TSO backend systems. The platform will also have a secondary market function.

“The new European capacity platform links gas markets in different countries in the core of Europe. Thus, it opens new possibilities for cross-border gas transport to shippers, who will then be able to book capacities at European network points through one single tool“, Annie Krist, CEO of the Dutch TSO Gasunie Transport Services (GTS), said on the occasion of the signature of the contracts and on behalf of the future shareholders.

“As PRISMA, we will act as the European platform operator for all our shareholders: Together with our partners we will ensure reliable capacity booking processes at all European network points.”

The future shareholders of PRISMA European Capacity Platform: Bayernets GmbH, EEX European Energy Exchange AG, Fluxys TENP GmbH, Fluxys Belgium NV/SA, Gasunie Transport Services B.V., Gasunie Deutschland Transport Services GmbH,  GRTgaz S.A.,  Gas Connect Austria GmbH,  Gastransport Nord GmbH,  Gascade Gastransport GmbH,  GRTgaz Deutschland GmbH,  Nowega GmbH,  ONTRAS – VNG Gastransport GmbH,  Open Grid Europe GmbH, terranets bw GmbH, Thyssengas GmbH, Energinet.dk, Trans Austria Gasleitung GmbH, Baumgarten-Oberkappel Gasleitungsgesellschaft m.b.H., Snam Rete Gas S.p.A.

[mappress]
LNG World News Staff, December 05, 2012