French strikes buoy sendout at nearby LNG terminals

Regasification in Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy has risen in recent days as the countries have relied on sendout to partially replace lost pipeline imports from France.

A halt to regasification at France's four LNG terminals has led to a sharp fall in pipeline exports from the country to its neighbours as the country turned from net pipeline gas exporter to net importer. The Elengy-operated 8mn t/yr Montoir, 6.6mn t/yr Fos Cavaou and 2.2mn t/yr Fos Tonkin facilities halted operations at 13:00 CET (12:00 GMT) on 6 March, followed by the 12.4mn t/yr Dunkirk terminal on 7 March. The strikes are scheduled to last until 21 March at all Elengy facilities and could be extended at Dunkirk as well.

And nearby countries have increased sendout to make up for the shortfall in pipeline supply and limit the draw on underground storage sites.

Belgian regasification has risen substantially, to 428 GWh/d on 6-15 March from 369 GWh/d earlier in the month, as the country's imports from France have collapsed, turning to net exports to France on five of the 10 days since the beginning of the strikes (see Belgian graph).

Dutch sendout has also soared and reached an all-time record on 10 March, shortly before the country's Eems Energy Terminal reached full capacity (see Dutch graph). The country's pipeline imports from Belgium have slumped since the beginning of the French industrial action, turning to net imports on 6-8 March for the first time since 28 January.

And Italy's sendout has stepped up and reached an all-time record on 13 March when it reached 566GWh (see Italy graph). Sendout was limited on 9-12 March after regasification from the country's offshore LNG Toscana (OLT) stopped because of adverse weather. Imports at Passo Gries — where the country receives French pipeline supply through Switzerland — slipped to 60 GWh/d on 6-15 March from 267 GWh/d earlier this month.

Iberia bucks trend

In contrast with northwest Europe, Spanish regasification has fallen since the start of the French strikes as bottlenecks persist, limiting the flow of substantial amounts of supply northeastwards.

Spanish sendout slipped to 680 GWh/d on 6-15 March from 928 GWh/d earlier this month, following a fall in heating demand. Spain, which previously imported from France at the Pirineos point, still reversed flows towards France on 8 March for the first time since early February.

But exports to France averaged just 111 GWh/d on 8-15 March, below previous peak exports at the Pirineos point towards France of 240 GWh/d. Stronger French withdrawals from underground sites may have limited the country's capacity ability to absorb stronger imports from Spain because of congestion within the French network.

Northwest European countries have also turned to underground storage sites to make up for the collapse of French sendout, with withdrawals in France, Germany and Italy accounting for a greater percentage of consumption in recent days compared with before the strike.

By Auguste Breteau

Belgian sendout steps up GWh

Dutch regasification soars GWh

Italian sendout rises GWh