BRATISLAVA, May 13, (WEBNOVINY) — Approximately 5.4 bcm of natural gas was sold in Slovakia last year. In an annual comparison, gas consumption increased by 6.5 percent. „This increase resulted from economic recovery in the aftermath of the global financial and economic crisis, as well as the natural gas supply disruption from January of 2009,“ said the Regulatory Office for Network Industries.
Gas suppliers sold to industrial customers 3.8 bcm of natural gas last year. The share gas utility SPP in overall gas supply to industrial customers according to the regulatory authority last year was 79 percent. „The gas market in Slovakia has entered an important phase last year. The market share of five new players on the market of gas supply to industrial customers in Slovakia was 21.5 percent and compared to 2009 increased threefold,“ said the regulatory authority.
Last year, the regulator registered switching of the gas supplier at more than three thousand supply sites, while a year ago it was less than sixty. „This increase was caused by a change of gas supplier by two supermarket chains, whose stores are located throughout the territory of the Slovak Republic. Supply points of these stores are included in particular in the category of small commercial customers,“ stated the authority, which has already also registered the return of some industrial gas customers to SPP. „This step indicates that each customer counts for the gas suppliers and fight for customer is never ending,“ the regulator says.
Last year, according to the regulator the market of gas supplies to industrial customers became fully competitive. Market participants in the category of industrial customers include SPP, RWE Gas Slovakia, Shell Slovakia, VNG Slovakia, Elgas, and Lumius Slovakia. The portfolio of these companies includes businesses, whose supply points are included in all customer size categories.
There was no change on the gas market in the category of households last year. The only gas supplier to Slovak households was SPP. „It has to be noted that the authority earlier this year already approved prices for the natural gas supply to households this year for five other suppliers, i.e., CEZ Slovensko, Business Commercial Finance, Elgas, Vasa energia, and RWE Gas Slovakia. These companies presented the plan for the category of households to attract domestic consumers by lower prices than offered by SPP,“ said the regulatory authority. According to information available to SITA news agency, two more companies wish to supply natural gas to households in Slovakia, the Czech company Lama Investments and the Slovak firm Korlea Invest.
SITA
