Page 14 - FSUOGM Week 39 2021

FSUOGM PIPELINES & TRANSPORT FSUOGM

German regulator grants PGNiG involvement

in Nord Stream 2 certification

GERMANY GERMAN energy regulator Bundesnetzagentur which could potentially help ease an unprece-
has permitted Polish gas supplier PGNiG to take dented supply crunch on the European market.
PGNiG is seeking to part in the certification process for Russia’s Nord But because of legislation introduced last year,
ensure the pipeline Stream 2 pipeline – a project that the company the pipeline has to comply with EU competition
adheres to EU law. strongly opposes. rules on unbundling, third-party access and tar-
PGNiG and the Polish government, its iff transparency.
majority shareholder, have repeatedly labelled “In the certification proceedings, we will
Nord Stream 2 as a threat to EU energy secu- seek to ensure that the owner of Nord Stream
rity. Warsaw has ratcheted up pressure on the 2 cannot avoid the application of owner-
EU recently to block the pipeline, which was ship unbundling requirements, third-party
declared by Russia’s Gazprom as being complete access and transparent tariffs, which take
earlier this month. into account the costs of the entire pipeline,”
Both PGNiG and its German subsidiary Majewski said. “We will prove consistently
PGNiG Supply and Trading (PST) submitted a that Nord Stream 2 AG does not meet the
request to Bundesnetzagentur to take part in the formal and substantive requirements for the
certification process. operator of the pipeline, in particular those
“We are pleased with Bundesnetzagentur’s relating to security of supply and the corpo-
decision on granting both companies partici- rate structure of the company.”
pation in the certification proceedings,” PGNiG Nord Stream 2 cannot commence operations
CEO Pawel Majewski said in a statement. without this certification. It will also need sepa-
The Swiss-based Nord Stream 2 AG operat- rate technical certification, although this is not
ing company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Gaz- expected to pose as great a difficulty.
prom, applied for certification as an independent According to PGNiG, to launch Nord Stream
gas transmission system operator (TSO) in late 2 without its operator being certified would be a
June. And in early September, Bundesnetzagen- breach of both German and EU law.
tur said it had all necessary documents for the Operating without a final certification deci-
application and would complete it within four sion would lead to discrimination of other
months. energy companies and distortion of the compe-
“PGNiG and PST are of the opinion that tition on the internal gas market,” PGNiG said.
Nord Stream 2 AG does not meet the formal “For this reason, PGNiG and PST reserve their
and substantive requirements for certification,” right to use all legal measures to oppose such
PGNiG said. “Moreover, both companies argue conduct of Nord Stream 2 AG.”
that a positive decision of Bundesnetzagentur Bundesnetzagentur, once it drafts its deci-
would put at risk the security of supply of the EU sion, will pass it onto the European Commission
and member states.” to give its opinion. It will then be passed back
It is still uncertain when Nord Stream 2 will to the German regulator for a final verdict to be
deliver its first commercial deliveries of gas, made. ™

P14 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 39 29•September•2021