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Change Report

Snam’s pathway of growth in Europe

In line with the principles of the EU’s Third Energy Package, which promotes the integrated development of infrastructure and shared network access regulations across the different countries, in recent years Snam has increasingly turned its eye to the international situation.

Our foreign growth strategy is founded on capitalising on the privileged position of our national network in the European gas corridors, and since 2012 has seen the Company invest in strategic partnerships and M&A operations along the two major European energy corridors: South-North and East-West.

In 2015, Snam bought a 20% stake in Trans Adriatic Pipeline AG (TAP), the company responsible for developing the Southern Gas Corridor as a key channel enabling gas produced in Azerbaijan to be transported to European markets.

This transaction marked a further significant step in the international growth strategy begun by Snam in 2012 with the acquisition of 31.5% of Interconnector UK in a joint venture with Fluxys, and continued in 2013 and 2014 with the respective acquisitions of 45% (now 40.5%) of TIGF in France, with a view to strengthening the Group’s leading position among European infrastructure operators, and 84.47% of Trans Austria Gasleitung GmbH (TAG), the company that owns the Austrian section of the pipeline between Russia and Italy. TAG is a key asset in the East-West energy corridor, partly because of a potential reverse flow to Central Europe.

Snam is also a partner in PRISMA, an international project involving 37 European gas transmission operators from 16 countries. Its goal is to encourage harmonised service delivery and access rules and facilitate the creation of a single European natural gas market by offering transportation capacity through a single shared digital platform.

Snam’s partnerships are founded on structured governance systems, primarily jointly controlled, where key decisions are taken by unanimous consent among shareholders, demonstrating Snam’s desire to share know-how and expertise without losing sight of its strategic and financial objectives.

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Snam’s pathway of growth in Europe (Graphic)

TAP

20% acquired in December 2015

A strategic asset due to:

  • diversification of supplies in the EU with imports of Azerbaijani gas
  • helping to create a gas hub in Italy
  • a portfolio of related initiatives along the southern corridor

ASSETS AND PERSONNEL:

  • The asset is in development and will entail the creation of a connection between Greece and Italy through Albania, with 765 km onshore and 105 km offshore with an initial capacity of 10 bcm/year (scalable to 20 bcm/year)
  • Employees in service: 196

TAG

Acquisition in 2014 of 84.47% of TAG (89.22% of economic rights), the company that owns the gas pipeline linking the Slovakian/Austrian border with the Tarvisio entry point.

A strategic asset due to:

  • integration in the east-west gas corridor
  • the opportunity to create reverse flow capacity to southern Germany and eastern Europe.

ASSETS AND PERSONNEL:

  • 3 parallel lines of pipelines of around 380 km each
  • 5 compression stations
  • Employees in service: 148

TIGF

After acquiring a stake in TIGF in 2013 and with a current equity investment of 40.5%, Snam is the industrial partner in the shareholding structure, alongside GIC (31.5%), EDF (18%) and Crédit Agricole (10%).

TIGF, which transports and stores natural gas in south-west France, represents a strategic piece of infrastructure for the integration of the European gas markets, connecting the French and Spanish markets with those of central and northern Europe as part of increasing integration of energy infrastructure at the European level.

ASSETS AND PERSONNEL:

  • 5,064 km of network with 6 compression stations (101 MW), or 13% of the total volume of transported gas in France
  • 5.7 billion m3 of storage capacity (2.8 bcm of working gas), or around 25% of national capacity
  • Employees in service: 582

INTERCONNECTOR UK

Acquisition in 2012 in 50-50 JV with Fluxys of: 31.5% of Interconnector UK, 51% of Interconnector Zeebrugge and 10% of Huberator.

A strategic asset because:

  • it ensures security of supply in north-western Europe
  • it represents the last section of the south-north corridor, linking one of the biggest gas markets in Europe to the continental network
  • two-way flow allows for flexibility and diversification of sources between the UK and continental Europe.

ASSETS AND PERSONNEL:

  • 235 km undersea pipeline between Bacton (UK) and Zeebrugge (Belgium)
  • 1 terminal and 1 compression station at Bacton
  • 1 terminal and 1 compression station at Zeebrugge
  • Employees in service: 87
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