The new market area cooperation project GASPOOL has cleared another hurdle. The plan by transport network operators Gasunie Deutschland, ONTRAS – VNG Gastransport, WINGAS TRANSPORT and DONG Energy Pipelines to merge their market areas has been designated unobjectionable by the German Federal Cartel Office. “It does not meet the conditions for prohibition as stipulated in § 36 (1) of the Act against Restraints on Competition (GWB) and may therefore be implemented”, the ruling by the cartel office stated. 

The company GASPOOL will be based in Berlin. StatoilHydro Deutschland will also participate in the market area as cooperation partner.

The pipeline operators from Hanover, Leipzig, Kassel, Emden and Kiel had already announced their intention to merge their existing, separate market areas back in March. This will now create a transport and trading area for natural gas that includes more the 300 networks virtually all over Germany. The cooperation makes it easier to transport gas across and beyond ownership lines, and gives competition in the German and European gas market a crucial boost.