LONDON, Sept 29 (Reuters) – The European Union desires a brand new transaction-based benchmark for liquefied pure fuel (LNG) because it says the autumn in Russian pipeline fuel flows and file excessive LNG imports have created imbalances within the present pricing mechanism.

The 27 EU member nations are negotiating proposals made final week to regulate hovering power costs and rein in prices for shoppers however Brussels is already exploring further measures.

In a paper shared with member states on Wednesday night time and revealed on Thursday, the EU Fee stated another LNG worth benchmark – which market individuals may use voluntarily – must be primarily based on verifiable worth assessments for LNG cargo deliveries, to make sure it mirrored real-world costs for the gasoline.

“The complementary benchmark would restrict the present detrimental impact on worth formation attributable to [pipeline] infrastructure bottlenecks and is thus anticipated to deliver costs nearer to the world market degree,” it stated.

Patrons of LNG normally worth off benchmarks such because the Henry Hub for pure fuel costs in the USA or the Japan Korea Marker (JKM) in Asia, with a small unfold added to account for the prices of regasification and transferring the fuel to the grid.

In Europe, the usual benchmarks are the Dutch Title Switch Facility (TTF), used for each pipeline fuel and LNG, and the UK’s nationwide balancing level (NBP).

Nonetheless, the TTF worth has been buffeted by geopolitics and sentiment as a lot as provide and demand elements and a few business sources argue it could not outline the actual worth of LNG in Europe, notably with the rise of imports into the area this yr.

RISE OF LNG IMPORTS

LNG imports into Europe have reached a file excessive this yr as governments scramble to seek out options to Russian fuel, which if phased out utterly would require 200 million tonnes of LNG to be shipped in over the following decade, analysts estimate.

Whereas the worth of LNG is mostly greater than pure fuel, infrastructure limitations in pipeline networks and ranging capability to obtain and course of the chilled gasoline has seen the connection flip in some European hubs, inflicting main worth divergences.

Costs in France, for instance, are decrease than in different hubs like Germany which presently has no LNG terminals.

“NOT A MATTER OF DAYS”

An EU official stated the Fee has already initiated work on a brand new benchmark with the Company for Cooperation of Power Regulators (ACER).

“It isn’t a matter of days. After all, it’s a course of, however I feel we are able to speed up a bit,” the official stated.

Nonetheless, some market individuals stay sceptical.

“The TTF continues to be – by far – probably the most liquid fuel market in Europe and thus most consultant,” stated Hans van Cleef, senior power economist at ABN Amro.

“When you filter LNG out of the TTF markets, liquidity will drop, with big dangers of even greater volatility and thus attainable larger worth swings.”

Anise Ganbold, senior analyst at Aurora Power Analysis, stated reducing the worth of fuel by transferring away from or reforming the TTF may have unintended penalties, decreasing incentives to extend fuel provide or cut back consumption.

In the meantime, Impartial Commodity Intelligence Providers (ICIS), which has been analysing and pricing European fuel markets for many years, stated there have been doubts about whether or not a brand new index can be broadly accepted.

“Solely a handful of producers, utilities and buying and selling homes are actively shopping for and promoting spot LNG cargoes into Europe…It’s rather more tough to set a worth acceptable to market individuals in an illiquid market.

Reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedin, Kate Abnett, Marwa Rashad; Enhancing by Kirsten Donovan

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