France’s GRTgaz expects minimal LNG supply need to cover winter demand

French gas grid operator GRTgaz pointed out the need for sufficient supply of LNG as well as management of the underground storage facilities in order to secure smooth winter operations. 

In its outlook for the coming winter, the company noted that at current operating conditions the gas system should be able to meet the demand of all French gas consumers, even in the event of an exceptionally cold spell.

This analysis is based on the capacity offered to shippers as well as the level of volumes booked for supplying the network at the various entry and exit points, such as the cross-border interconnections, LNG terminals and underground storage facilities.

On 1 November 2018, the level of volumes booked in the storage facilities totaled 128 billion kWh (TWh), the highest level since 2010. Regulation of storage introduced in early 2018 led to an intense injection campaign from May to October, GRTgaz said.

In its outlook, GRTgaz said that projections show that a minimal supply of LNG and/or entries from Spain are nonetheless necessary to cover the balance and manage the network bottlenecks for cold winter scenarios or in the event of a spike in gas demand.