The controller of the National Gas Regulatory Entity (Enargas), Carlos Casares, sent a note to the main gas transporters and distributors in the country in which he asks them to identify and quantify interruptible gas contracts that may be susceptible to cuts during the coming days due to an expected increase in demand as a result of low temperatures. The measure will affect CNG stations, industries and large businesses.
Although the forecast temperatures are below usual for this time of year, the government was surprised by the situation since the compression plants to expand the capacity of the Néstor Kirchner Gasduct are not finished and the planned import fell short of the greatest demand.
Due to this, last week the distributors already had to cut off the “interruptible” supply to more than 100 service stations that sell Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) for vehicles, so sales to users in a hundred of them were suspended. cities, including AMBA, La Plata, Mar del Plata, Santiago del Estero and Tucumán. In addition, Cammesa, the company in charge of dispatching energy to the system, was forced to put out an emergency tender on Monday for the purchase of 12 shipments of fuel oil and diesel to face the increase in consumption, which will require about 500 million dollars more than expected in terms of energy imports.
Different sources in the sector affirm that the government is the main responsible for what is happening, fundamentally for having delayed the transfer of the budget items necessary to be able to finish the compression plants of the Néstor Kirchner Gas Pipeline that would have allowed it to expand its capacity from 11 to 22 million. m3 daily for this winter. The three compression plants are delayed because the government owes money to the construction companies.
In this context, Casares came out to ask distributors and transporters to prepare to cut off gas to all users who have interruptible contracts. The list not only includes service stations that provide CNG but also thousands of industries that in the coming days will see their production affected due to lack of energy.
“The Distribution provider must report under sworn statement to this Authority the volume corresponding to the unsatisfied priority demand by delivery area. Regarding the aforementioned opening, the Transportation Licensees must identify, quantify and proceed to cut the interruptible services that are strictly necessary according to their technical and operational evaluations, taking into account the effectiveness criterion in such a way that the cutting of the transport services interruptible (TI) has an immediate effect on its linepack and, therefore, on the delivery pressures of the affected city gates,” says the letter that qualifies the current situation as “pre-emergency.”
“Given that the emergency declared by DNU Decree No. 55/2023 also contemplates a situation of supply risk in the electricity generation segment, the aforementioned cuts must consider the supply at the minimum necessary to ensure the functioning of the national electrical system. . It is a sine qua non condition for distribution providers to make use of this procedure that they have declared the State of Pre-Emergency,” adds the note signed by Casares.
The National Meteorological Service (SMN) predicts a marked decrease in temperatures for this week in the City of Buenos Aires, with Saturday, May 25, the coldest day of the year with a minimum temperature of 3 degrees and a maximum of 11.
