GAS : TEN-YEAR DEVELOPMENT PLAN SHOWS INCREASED DEPENDENCE.

The European Network of Transmission System Operators for Gas (ENTSOG) has published its first ten-year network development plan. The document, covering development of gas transmission systems for the years 2010 till 2019, is required by the third legislative energy package, notably Regulation 715/2009 on conditions for access to the natural gas transmission networks. The ten-year plan also indicates increased energy dependence in the field of gas. Europe's own production, notably from the UK, Norway and the Netherlands, is set to decrease by 24% to 32% in the ten-year period.

Despite decreasing home production, ENTSOG foresees an increase in European aggregated peak day demand of some 12%. This is combined with an increase in European pipeline import capacities by 19%. Turning to Russian pipeline imports, ENTSOG sees a potential increase from 184 billion cubic metres (bcm) annually in 2010 to 244 bcm in 2019. This represents an increase of 33%. This increasing dependence on Russia...