Slovak households that have expressed interest in state subsidies for small-scale RES will soon receive their vouchers which must be used within 30 days. Their solar panels can thus be built also during Christmas.
According to Slovak gas carrier Eustream, halting gas supplies from Russia to Ukraine is just a usual business decision by Ukraine which currently does not need to purchase natural gas from Gazprom.
The Regulatory Office for Network Industries would like to reflect falling gas prices on markets into gas prices for households and small companies. The series of regulated gas price reduction are likely to continue.
The Slovak-Hungarian gas pipeline officially started commercial operation in July 2015. However, gas traders have showed no interest in transporting gas via this new pipeline.
According to the Financial Policy Institute, the full abolition of the regulation of electricity and gas prices for Slovak households could be considered in five years. It is necessary to achieve a certain degree of change of suppliers and market concentration.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico says that companies which have agreed with Gazprom to the construction of Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project, are making idiots of us.
European Commission Vice-President for Energy Union Maros Sefcovic reminded that Slovak-Ukrainian reverse gas flow is very important for the energy security of our eastern neighbor.
Three political parties, Smer-SD, KDH and SaS, promise unambiguous political support for the Eastring project in case of their victory in the upcoming parliamentary elections.
The state-owned company Slovensky Plynarensky Priemysel (SPP) remains the most important player on the Slovak gas market. Alternative suppliers have repeatedly reduced SPP’s market share moderately.
Ukrainians have been using the capacity of Vojany-Uzhgorod gas pipeline to roughly 50 percent since early September, as their daily gas shipments from Slovakia are roughly 23.5 million cubic meters.
Sloboda a Solidarita is the only political party which is considering the sale of state’s shares in SPP, or in companies SPP-distribucia or Eustream, where the state holds a 51-percent stake, to new shareholders.
The Regulatory Office for Network Industries has initiated the pricing procedure on its own initiative. The regulator refused to reveal how much gas prices for Slovak households and small businesses will decline.
Eustream has been transferring 50 percent less gas to Ukraine since May. According to European Commissioner Maros Sefcovic, every company strives for the biggest profitability of its operations and therefore the price is decisive when purchasing gas.
Slovakia’s energy regulator is slowly working on a new regulatory policy which will come into effect in 2017. It seems that the office will regulate energy prices for households and small companies also in the new regulatory period.