The Interconnector Pipeline a Key Link in Europe's Gas Network

The Interconnector Pipeline A Key Link in Europe’s Gas Network Mark Futyan Oxford Institute of Energy Studies March 2006 Mark Futyan is a postgraduate student at Columbia Business School in New York. He previously worked for Interconnector (UK) Limited between 2001 and 2005. During this period, he was involved in a variety of engineering and commercial projects. For information or questions on this research, please contact: [email protected]. Copyright © 2006 Mark Futyan The contents of and views expressed in this paper are the author’s sole responsibility. They do not necessarily represent the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies or any of its members, nor do they represent the views of Interconnector (UK) Limited. ISBN 1-901795-44-6 ii Preface The Interconnector pipeline has rarely been out of the news since it was first proposed in the early 1990s. It is probably not too much of an exaggeration to say that it has transformed short term trading in north west Europe, causing companies to enter into commercial behaviour that they had not previously considered possible or, in some cases, desirable. Equally interesting were predictions (before it was built) that the project was likely to be a waste of time, followed by periodic claims that: gas was flowing in the wrong direction; that larger or smaller volumes of gas should be flowing; and that shippers on one side or the other were responding inappropriately to price signals. For a gas research programme this made the Interconnector a particularly suitable research project which fits perfectly into our work on European gas issues. This is the first publicly available document to provide a detailed account of the Interconnector pipeline supported by primary source materials. I am very grateful to Mark Futyan for taking on such a challenging project and seeing it through from the other side of the Atlantic alongside his MBA. <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">Jonathan Stern </li><li style="flex:1">March 2006 </li></ul>iii CONTENTS <a href="#6_0">GLOSSAR</a><a href="#6_0">Y</a><a href="#6_0">.</a><a href="#6_0">........................................................................................................................................ VI </a><a href="#7_0">ABSTRACT ...........................................................................................................................................</a><a href="#7_0">.</a><a href="#7_0">1 </a><a href="#8_0">ACKNOWLEDGEMENT</a><a href="#8_0">S</a><a href="#8_0">.</a><a href="#8_0">.................................................................................................................</a><a href="#8_0">.</a><a href="#8_0">2 </a><ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1"><a href="#9_0">1</a></li><li style="flex:1"><a href="#9_0">INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................</a><a href="#9_0">.</a><a href="#9_0">3 </a></li></ul><a href="#9_0">1.1 </a><a href="#9_0">1.2 </a><a href="#10_0">1.3 </a> <a href="#9_0">I</a><a href="#9_0">NTERCONNECTOR </a><a href="#9_0">O</a><a href="#9_0">VERVIEW </a><a href="#9_0">................................................................................................</a><a href="#9_0">.</a><a href="#9_0">3 </a><a href="#9_0">F</a><a href="#9_0">ACILITIES </a><a href="#9_0">..............................................................................................................................</a><a href="#9_0">.</a><a href="#9_0">3 </a><a href="#10_0">A T</a><a href="#10_0">EN</a><a href="#10_0">-</a><a href="#10_0">YEAR </a><a href="#10_0">H</a><a href="#10_0">ISTORY </a><a href="#10_0">............................................................................................................</a><a href="#10_0">.</a><a href="#10_0">4 </a><a href="#11_0">2</a><a href="#13_0">3</a> <a href="#11_0">PROJECT HISTORY ..................................................................................................................</a><a href="#11_0">.</a><a href="#11_0">5 </a><a href="#11_0">2.1 </a><a href="#11_0">2.2 </a> <a href="#11_0">E</a><a href="#11_0">ARLY </a><a href="#11_0">C</a><a href="#11_0">ONCEPTS</a><a href="#11_0">...................................................................................................................</a><a href="#11_0">.</a><a href="#11_0">5 </a><a href="#11_0">T</a><a href="#11_0">HE </a><a href="#11_0">S</a><a href="#11_0">TUDY </a><a href="#11_0">G</a><a href="#11_0">ROU</a><a href="#11_0">P</a><a href="#11_0">.................................................................................................................</a><a href="#11_0">.</a><a href="#11_0">5 </a><a href="#13_0">KEY STAKEHOLDERS..............................................................................................................</a><a href="#13_0">.</a><a href="#13_0">7 </a><ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1"><a href="#13_0">3.1 </a></li><li style="flex:1"><a href="#13_0">L</a><a href="#13_0">ANDFALL </a><a href="#13_0">P</a><a href="#13_0">ARTNERS</a><a href="#13_0">.............................................................................................................</a><a href="#13_0">.</a><a href="#13_0">7 </a></li></ul><a href="#13_0">UK G</a><a href="#13_0">OVERNMENT </a><a href="#13_0">..................................................................................................................</a><a href="#13_0">.</a><a href="#13_0">7 </a><a href="#16_0">S</a><a href="#16_0">HAREHOLDER</a><a href="#16_0">S</a><a href="#16_0">....................................................................................................................</a><a href="#16_0">.</a><a href="#16_0">1</a><a href="#16_0">0 </a><a href="#21_0">S</a><a href="#21_0">HIPPERS </a><a href="#21_0">..............................................................................................................................</a><a href="#21_0">.</a><a href="#21_0">1</a><a href="#21_0">5 </a><a href="#23_0">M</a><a href="#23_0">ARKET </a><a href="#23_0">E</a><a href="#23_0">XPECTATIONS </a><a href="#23_0">......................................................................................................</a><a href="#23_0">.</a><a href="#23_0">1</a><a href="#23_0">7 </a> <a href="#13_0">3.2 </a><a href="#16_0">3.3 </a><a href="#21_0">3.4 </a><a href="#23_0">3.5 </a><a href="#24_0">4</a><a href="#29_0">5</a> <a href="#24_0">CREATING THE INTERCONNECTO</a><a href="#24_0">R</a><a href="#24_0">.</a><a href="#24_0">...............................................................................</a><a href="#24_0">.</a><a href="#24_0">1</a><a href="#24_0">8 </a><ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1"><a href="#24_0">4.1 </a></li><li style="flex:1"><a href="#24_0">F</a><a href="#24_0">INANCING </a><a href="#24_0">...........................................................................................................................</a><a href="#24_0">.</a><a href="#24_0">1</a><a href="#24_0">8 </a></li></ul><a href="#26_0">A</a><a href="#26_0">LLIANCE </a><a href="#26_0">S</a><a href="#26_0">TRUCTURE </a><a href="#26_0">.........................................................................................................</a><a href="#26_0">.</a><a href="#26_0">2</a><a href="#26_0">0 </a><a href="#27_0">T</a><a href="#27_0">ECHNICAL</a><a href="#27_0">, E</a><a href="#27_0">NVIRONMENTAL AND </a><a href="#27_0">P</a><a href="#27_0">LANNING </a><a href="#27_0">C</a><a href="#27_0">HALLENGE</a><a href="#27_0">S</a><a href="#27_0">..............................................</a><a href="#27_0">.</a><a href="#27_0">2</a><a href="#27_0">1 </a><a href="#28_0">I</a><a href="#28_0">NTER</a><a href="#28_0">-G</a><a href="#28_0">OVERNMENTAL </a><a href="#28_0">T</a><a href="#28_0">REATY</a><a href="#28_0">..........................................................................................</a><a href="#28_0">.</a><a href="#28_0">2</a><a href="#28_0">2 </a> <a href="#26_0">4.2 </a><a href="#27_0">4.3 </a><a href="#28_0">4.4 </a><a href="#29_0">BUSINESS RULES.....................................................................................................................</a><a href="#29_0">.</a><a href="#29_0">2</a><a href="#29_0">3 </a><ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1"><a href="#29_0">5.1 </a></li><li style="flex:1"><a href="#29_0">F</a><a href="#29_0">LOW </a><a href="#29_0">D</a><a href="#29_0">IRECTION </a><a href="#29_0">.................................................................................................................</a><a href="#29_0">.</a><a href="#29_0">2</a><a href="#29_0">3 </a></li></ul><a href="#0_0">N</a><a href="#0_0">OMINATIONS </a><a href="#0_0">......................................................................................................................</a><a href="#0_0">.</a><a href="#0_0">2</a><a href="#0_0">5 </a><a href="#0_0">C</a><a href="#0_0">APACITY AND </a><a href="#0_0">I</a><a href="#0_0">NVENTORY </a><a href="#0_0">T</a><a href="#0_0">RADING </a><a href="#0_0">..................................................................................</a><a href="#0_0">.</a><a href="#0_0">2</a><a href="#0_0">5 </a><a href="#0_0">V</a><a href="#0_0">ARIABLE </a><a href="#0_0">I</a><a href="#0_0">NVENTORY </a><a href="#0_0">.........................................................................................................</a><a href="#0_0">.</a><a href="#0_0">2</a><a href="#0_0">8 </a><a href="#0_0">D</a><a href="#0_0">IRECT </a><a href="#0_0">A</a><a href="#0_0">CCESS </a><a href="#0_0">C</a><a href="#0_0">ONNECTION </a><a href="#0_0">..............................................................................................</a><a href="#0_0">.</a><a href="#0_0">2</a><a href="#0_0">8 </a><a href="#0_0">A C</a><a href="#0_0">OMPLEX </a><a href="#0_0">S</a><a href="#0_0">YSTEM </a><a href="#0_0">............................................................................................................</a><a href="#0_0">.</a><a href="#0_0">2</a><a href="#0_0">9 </a> <a href="#0_0">5.2 </a><a href="#0_0">5.3 </a><a href="#0_0">5.4 </a><a href="#0_0">5.5 </a><a href="#0_0">5.6 </a><a href="#0_0">6</a><a href="#0_0">7</a><a href="#0_0">8</a> <a href="#0_0">FLOW AND PRICE TREND</a><a href="#0_0">S</a><a href="#0_0">.</a><a href="#0_0">.................................................................................................</a><a href="#0_0">.</a><a href="#0_0">3</a><a href="#0_0">0 </a><ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1"><a href="#0_0">6.1 </a></li><li style="flex:1"><a href="#0_0">A</a><a href="#0_0">RBITRAGE</a><a href="#0_0">...........................................................................................................................</a><a href="#0_0">.</a><a href="#0_0">3</a><a href="#0_0">0 </a></li></ul><a href="#0_0">P</a><a href="#0_0">IPELINE </a><a href="#0_0">F</a><a href="#0_0">LOWS </a><a href="#0_0">...................................................................................................................</a><a href="#0_0">.</a><a href="#0_0">3</a><a href="#0_0">1 </a><a href="#0_0">P</a><a href="#0_0">RICE </a><a href="#0_0">E</a><a href="#0_0">VOLUTION </a><a href="#0_0">................................................................................................................</a><a href="#0_0">.</a><a href="#0_0">3</a><a href="#0_0">3 </a><a href="#0_0">D</a><a href="#0_0">EVELOPMENT OF </a><a href="#0_0">E</a><a href="#0_0">UROPEAN </a><a href="#0_0">T</a><a href="#0_0">RADING </a><a href="#0_0">H</a><a href="#0_0">UB</a><a href="#0_0">S</a><a href="#0_0">.....................................................................</a><a href="#0_0">.</a><a href="#0_0">3</a><a href="#0_0">5 </a> <a href="#0_0">6.2 </a><a href="#0_0">6.3 </a><a href="#0_0">6.4 </a><a href="#0_0">FLOW CONSTRAINTS AND OUTAGES ..............................................................................</a><a href="#0_0">.</a><a href="#0_0">3</a><a href="#0_0">6 </a><ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1"><a href="#0_0">7.1 </a></li><li style="flex:1"><a href="#0_0">P</a><a href="#0_0">LANNED </a><a href="#0_0">O</a><a href="#0_0">UTAGES </a><a href="#0_0">..............................................................................................................</a><a href="#0_0">.</a><a href="#0_0">3</a><a href="#0_0">6 </a></li></ul><a href="#0_0">U</a><a href="#0_0">NPLANNED </a><a href="#0_0">O</a><a href="#0_0">UTAGES </a><a href="#0_0">.........................................................................................................</a><a href="#0_0">.</a><a href="#0_0">3</a><a href="#0_0">6 </a><a href="#0_0">F</a><a href="#0_0">LOW </a><a href="#0_0">D</a><a href="#0_0">IRECTION </a><a href="#0_0">C</a><a href="#0_0">HANGES </a><a href="#0_0">.................................................................................................</a><a href="#0_0">.</a><a href="#0_0">3</a><a href="#0_0">9 </a><a href="#0_0">C</a><a href="#0_0">APACITY </a><a href="#0_0">C</a><a href="#0_0">ONSTRAINT</a><a href="#0_0">S</a><a href="#0_0">......................................................................................................</a><a href="#0_0">.</a><a href="#0_0">4</a><a href="#0_0">0 </a> <a href="#0_0">7.2 </a><a href="#0_0">7.3 </a><a href="#0_0">7.4 </a><a href="#0_0">REVERSE FLOW ENHANCEMENT .....................................................................................</a><a href="#0_0">.</a><a href="#0_0">4</a><a href="#0_0">1 </a><ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1"><a href="#0_0">8.1 </a></li><li style="flex:1"><a href="#0_0">D</a><a href="#0_0">EVELOPMENT </a><a href="#0_0">P</a><a href="#0_0">HASES </a><a href="#0_0">........................................................................................................</a><a href="#0_0">.</a><a href="#0_0">4</a><a href="#0_0">1 </a></li></ul><a href="#0_0">C</a><a href="#0_0">APACITY </a><a href="#0_0">S</a><a href="#0_0">ALES </a><a href="#0_0">..................................................................................................................</a><a href="#0_0">.</a><a href="#0_0">4</a><a href="#0_0">1 </a><a href="#0_0">M</a><a href="#0_0">OTIVATION OF </a><a href="#0_0">C</a><a href="#0_0">APACITY </a><a href="#0_0">H</a><a href="#0_0">OLDERS </a><a href="#0_0">..................................................................................</a><a href="#0_0">.</a><a href="#0_0">4</a><a href="#0_0">2 </a><a href="#0_0">C</a><a href="#0_0">OMPETING </a><a href="#0_0">I</a><a href="#0_0">MPORT </a><a href="#0_0">P</a><a href="#0_0">ROJECT</a><a href="#0_0">S</a><a href="#0_0">.............................................................................................</a><a href="#0_0">.</a><a href="#0_0">4</a><a href="#0_0">3 </a><a href="#0_0">E</a><a href="#0_0">LECTRICITY </a><a href="#0_0">M</a><a href="#0_0">ARKET </a><a href="#0_0">E</a><a href="#0_0">XPOSUR</a><a href="#0_0">E</a><a href="#0_0">........................................................................................</a><a href="#0_0">.</a><a href="#0_0">4</a><a href="#0_0">4 </a> <a href="#0_0">8.2 </a><a href="#0_0">8.3 </a><a href="#0_0">8.4 </a><a href="#0_0">8.5 </a>iv <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1"><a href="#0_0">9</a></li><li style="flex:1"><a href="#0_0">SUMMARY & CONCLUSIONS...............................................................................................</a><a href="#0_0">.</a><a href="#0_0">4</a><a href="#0_0">5 </a></li></ul><ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1"><a href="#0_0">9.1 </a></li><li style="flex:1"><a href="#0_0">F</a><a href="#0_0">ROM </a><a href="#0_0">C</a><a href="#0_0">ONCEPT TO </a><a href="#0_0">R</a><a href="#0_0">EALITY </a><a href="#0_0">................................................................................................</a><a href="#0_0">.</a><a href="#0_0">4</a><a href="#0_0">5 </a></li></ul><a href="#0_0">I</a><a href="#0_0">MPACT OF THE </a><a href="#0_0">I</a><a href="#0_0">NTERCONNECTOR</a><a href="#0_0">........................................................................................</a><a href="#0_0">.</a><a href="#0_0">4</a><a href="#0_0">5 </a><a href="#0_0">P</a><a href="#0_0">ROJECT </a><a href="#0_0">E</a><a href="#0_0">VALUATION</a><a href="#0_0">..........................................................................................................</a><a href="#0_0">.</a><a href="#0_0">4</a><a href="#0_0">5 </a><a href="#0_0">E</a><a href="#0_0">VOLUTION </a><a href="#0_0">& </a><a href="#0_0">THE </a><a href="#0_0">F</a><a href="#0_0">UTURE </a><a href="#0_0">..................................................................................................</a><a href="#0_0">.</a><a href="#0_0">4</a><a href="#0_0">6 </a> <a href="#0_0">9.2 </a><a href="#0_0">9.3 </a><a href="#0_0">9.4 </a><ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1"><a href="#0_0">10 </a></li><li style="flex:1"><a href="#0_0">REFERENCE</a><a href="#0_0">S</a><a href="#0_0">.</a><a href="#0_0">......................................................................................................................</a><a href="#0_0">.</a><a href="#0_0">4</a><a href="#0_0">7 </a></li></ul><a href="#0_0">10.1 </a><a href="#0_0">10.2 </a><a href="#0_0">10.3 </a> <a href="#0_0">I</a><a href="#0_0">NTERVIEWS</a><a href="#0_0">..........................................................................................................................</a><a href="#0_0">.</a><a href="#0_0">4</a><a href="#0_0">7 </a><a href="#0_0">A</a><a href="#0_0">DDITIONAL </a><a href="#0_0">R</a><a href="#0_0">EFERENCE</a><a href="#0_0">S</a><a href="#0_0">....................................................................................................</a><a href="#0_0">.</a><a href="#0_0">4</a><a href="#0_0">7 </a><a href="#0_0">F</a><a href="#0_0">URTHER </a><a href="#0_0">I</a><a href="#0_0">NFORMATION </a><a href="#0_0">.......................................................................................................</a><a href="#0_0">.</a><a href="#0_0">4</a><a href="#0_0">7 </a>vGLOSSARY ABBREVIATION bcm/y CCGT DTI DESCRIPTION Billion normal cubic metres per annum Combined Cycle Gas Turbine Department of Trade and Industry (UK) European Association for the Streamlining of Energy Exchange European Investment Bank EASEE EIB <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">EU </li><li style="flex:1">European Union </li></ul>Fluxys Forward Flow ISIS Belgian natural gas network operator Flow from the UK to Belgium Interconnector Shippers Information System <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">Interconnector (UK) Limited </li><li style="flex:1">IUK </li></ul><ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">LNG </li><li style="flex:1">Liquefied Natural Gas </li></ul><ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">NBP </li><li style="flex:1">National Balancing Point (NTS notional trading point) </li></ul>National Grid Transco (NTS operator) National Transmission System (UK natural gas network, operated by NGT) Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Regulator) NGT NTS Ofgem <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">PLUTO </li><li style="flex:1">Pipeline Under the Ocean (Pipeline used to supply fuel to troops in France </li></ul>during WW2) <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">Ppm </li><li style="flex:1">Parts per Million </li></ul>Reverse Flow Send-or-pay Flow from Belgium to the UK Capacity utilisation pricing structure where the charge paid is independent of capacity utilisation. Spot price STA Short-term price Standard Transportation Agreement (The contractual agreement between IUK and its customers) <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">Take-or-pay </li><li style="flex:1">Pricing structure involving fixed volumes at pre-agreed prices, but with the </li></ul>option for the customer to reduce the offtake quantity without refund. <ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">TTF </li><li style="flex:1">Title Tansfer Facility (virtual trading point in the Netherlands) </li></ul><ul style="display: flex;"><li style="flex:1">UK Continental Shelf </li><li style="flex:1">UKCS </li></ul>vi ABSTRACT The Interconnector pipeline links the UK and mainland European gas networks. This paper studies the history of the Interconnector from initial conception through to present day operation and contrasts the impact of the pipeline with expectations. The speculative nature and multi-partner approach of the project led to unique financial, project management and political challenges. The original investors in the Interconnector link had quite different ambitions and a corresponding variety of expectations. Operational experience has demonstrated Interconnector flows to be lower and more variable than expected by most stakeholders, reflecting the pipeline’s primary role as a trading line rather than a bulk transportation facility. This paper was originally written during early 2005 and reflects knowledge at that point in time. 1ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express thanks to the many individuals who have contributed to this paper. In particular I would like to thank Jonathan Stern and Roger Cornish for planting the idea of a paper into the Interconnector’s history and for their continued support throughout its development. I am also sincerely grateful to James Alcock OBE, Jean Vermeire and Tony Mulcare and Hari Kambo for sharing their wealth of knowledge and experience with me. Finally, I would like to thank my wife for her tireless patience, support and love. 21 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Interconnector Overview

The Interconnector Pipeline a Key Link in Europe's Gas Network

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