EUROPEAN COMMISSION
DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR ENERGY
Directorate B - Internal Energy Market
NSI West Gas Regional Group meeting
2nd of March 2015, 10h00-16h30
The Commission updated on the process of evaluation, assessment and adoption of
the second list of PCIs. The delegated act is expected to be adopted by the
Commission end of November. The Commission also informed that the public
consultation launched on 22nd of December 2014 will be extended until the 31st of
March, in line with the request expressed by stakeholders at the 22nf of January cross
regional groups meeting.
1. The TYNDP process (ENTSOG)
In the first part of its presentation, ENTSOG updated the Regional Group on the
state of play of the TYNDP 2015. Following the request expressed in the previous
cross-regional group meeting, ENTSOG provided examples of data that would be
available for an assessment of PCI candidates. ENTSOG informed that the new
TYNDP will be published by mid-March.
In the second part of the presentation, ENTSOG presented the summaries of
comments made by the Members of the Regional Groups to the PS-CBA
templates. ENTSOG also informed that:
the final versions of the PS-CBA templates will be distributed (to the
promoters) at the end of the first week or beginning of second week of
March. (T
he Financial Analysis and the Qualitative Analysis templates were
sent on
12 March by the European Commission on behalf of ENTSOG),
the promoters will receive the CBA modelling results from ENTSOG on 27
March. Following the timeline set by Commission the promoters would have
3 weeks to finalise the CBA-PS and provide it to Commission.
Following the ENTSOG request, the Members of the RG expressed their opinion
that project promoters should be allowed to decide whether to consider
extraordinary maintenance as CAPEX or OPEX.
2. Project evaluation process and tools (JRC)
The Joint Research Centre (JRC) made a presentation on the updated
methodology and presented an overview of the comments to the methodology
submitted by the Members of the Regional Groups. The Members of the RG have
been informed that:
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final comments to the methodology might be submitted to
ENER-B1-
xxxxxxxx@xx.xxxxxx.xx by 9 March
a new version of the methodology will be prepared and distributed by 16
March. This new version of the methodology will be presented and discussed
at the next meeting of the RG.
The Members of the RG agreed that the modelling results prepared by ENTSOG
will be provided to promoters on 27 March. They also agreed that these results
should be made available by ENTSOG to JRC as soon as possible in March to
further develop and carry out checks on the methodology. The decision of the
NSI West Gas Regional Group is consistent with the decisions taken in other
Regional Groups.
3. Project presentations & discussion on projects
Project promoters presented their PCI candidates for the 2nd Union List of PCIs.
All projects have been presented except the LNG Terminal of Gioia Tauro and the
Cornegliano UGS (a presentation of the Cornegliano UGS has been sent to the
Commission on 5th of March).
The Commission recalled that two projects commissioned in 2015 will not be
assessed. These two projects are the following: UGS Bordolano (UGS-F-259) and
Support to the North West market (TRA-F-213).
The Commission informed that the Kinsale UGS project promoters informed the
Commission about their wish to withdraw from the PCI evaluation process.
The Commission asked the Spanish Ministry to provide a substantiated
reasoning for not supporting the UGS Bages. The substantiated reasoning was
provided by the Spanish Ministry to the Commission on 4th of March.
The Commission informed about the deletion of group GR_7B_ West at the
request of the Irish NRA, as expressed at the 22nd of January cross-regional
groups meeting. The Irish NRA also asked that the Physical reverse flow at
Moffat Interconnection Point (TRA-N-059) is taken out from the group GR_8
West. The Physical reverse flow at Moffat Interconnection Point (TRA-N-059) is
assessed in GR_7A_West.
The grouping of the MIDCAT project remains to be further discussed.
Edison asked for the inclusions of a new group combining GR_1_West and
GR_3_West to better capture some non-modelled benefits such as the gasification
of islands. This request seems not to respond with the general EU policy
objectives under the TEN-E Regulation.
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4. Feedback from ACER/NRAs
Following a request of the Commission, ACER made a presentation outlining
ACER's and NRAs' views on the cost allocation of 'enabler projects' and
commissioning dates of projects. There was no extensive discussion on this
point.
5. Next steps:
The Commission summarised key points of the meeting and informed that a next
RG meeting would be held either between 18-20 or 30-31 March; (
the meeting
will take place on 31st of March; an invitation has been sent out).
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