Today, 1st October 2009, the new gas market area GASPOOL was launched successfully for the start of the new gas year. “By merging the three market areas
H-Gas-Norddeutschland, ONTRAS and WINGAS TRANSPORT into one single trading area, the participating companies are  giving a significant boost to competition on the German natural gas market”, GASPOOL Managing Director Ingrid Peters explained. The new market area, which comprises almost 300 downstream natural gas transport networks, was initiated by five transport companies: DONG Energy Pipelines GmbH, Gasunie Deutschland Transport Services GmbH, ONTRAS – VNG Gastransport GmbH, WINGAS TRANSPORT GmbH & Co. KG and StatoilHydro Deutschland GmbH.

“Overall more than 180 balancing group managers from national and international natural gas traders and companies have registered to trade in the new market area via the online portal www.gaspool.de”, GASPOOL Managing Director Ludger Hümbs explained, saying he was pleased with the development of the new market area. “That includes around 40 customers who weren’t active in any of the former market areas.”

Coinciding with the launch of GASPOOL, the European Energy Exchange AG (EEX) in Leipzig has paved the way for trading in the new market area – this means gas quantities traded at the exchange in Leipzig can go directly to homes and businesses in the market area.    

GASPOOL is a subsidiary of the pipeline network operators DONG Energy Pipelines GmbH, Gasunie Deutschland Transport Services GmbH, ONTRAS – VNG Gastransport GmbH and WINGAS TRANSPORT GmbH & Co. KG, based in Berlin. The purpose of the company is to operate a comprehensive market area for H-gas in Germany. The previous market areas H-Gas Northern Germany, ONTRAS and WINGAS TRANSPORT shall merge to form the GASPOOL market area as of 1 October 2009. By the integration of the market area H-Gas Northern Germany, Statoil Deutschland GmbH is also involved in this market area cooperation. The new market area comprises around 300 downstream gas transport networks.

Further information:  www.gaspool.de