Flexibility and default services

New flexibility services were also introduced in 2018, such as intra-day storage tenders, which offers supply capacities exceeding the initial contracted amount, which are transferred to customers according to tenders during the gas day in progress.

To encourage a greater operational flexibility, in accordance to the 336/2016/R/gas and 512/2017/R/ gas Authority resolutions, the Italian gas system introduced the possibility to book monthly and daily transportation capacity at the redelivery points, and related extraction areas, which feed the electric power generation plants directly, only paying for booked quantities and not for the service over the entire thermal year. This way of accessing the gas transportation system accommodates the electrical system’s requirements for a more flexible conveyance method to respond promptly and efficiently to the electrical system’s new operational conditions.

Since 2015 Snam has fulfilled the role of Default Transport Supplier, in other words providing gas to sales companies in the distribution networks connected to the transport network and to final customers connected directly to its network where their supplier is no longer on the market. The same service is also carried out for the sales companies and final customers at third-party transporters who explicitly requested it. In the thermal year 2017-2018, this service involved 192 subjects between end customers and sales companies for volumes of approximately 263,300 MWh.