Natural gas market indicators

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Data from March 2013. Most recent data: Further Eurostat information, Main tables and Database.


This article takes a look at the natural gas markets in the European Union (EU), presenting recent statistical data on the number and activities of companies that either bring natural gas into the country or by indigenous production (IMport and PROduction  = IMPRO) and retail companies across EU Member States, Croatia, Serbia, Turkey and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).

In 2011 the number of main natural gas IMPRO companies (with a market share of 5 % or more) decreased by nearly 9 %. The total number of natural gas IMPRO companies in the European Union increased however compared to 2010 by nearly than 7 %.

Table 1: Number of entities bringing natural gas into the country
Table 2: Number of main entities, 2011
Figure 1: No of main entities bringing gas and their cumulative market share
Table 3: Market share of the largest entity bringing gas
Table 4: Number of retailers selling natural gas to final customers
Table 5: Number of main natural gas retailers
Figure 2: Number of main gas retailers and their cumulative market share
Table 6: Market share of the largest natural gas retailer

Contents

Main statistical findings

During the period 2003-2011, the number of main companies with a market coverage above 5 %, that either produce natural gas by indigenous production or bring natural gas into the country (IMport and PROduction = IMPRO) increased from 52 to 67 companies (2011 values for Denmark and Greece were estimated). Between 2005 and 2009, this number remained stable around 62 companies, but in 2010, a significant increase was observed by 20 %. Between 2010 and 2011, this number decreased however again with nearly 9 %. The total number of natural gas IMPRO companies increased significantly (from 173 in 2003 to 318 companies in 2011), which means that a significant number of new (small size) companies entered the IMPRO natural gas market during this period. Information excludes however data from the Netherlands (no data available), Cyprus and Malta (no significant gas market). Data for Greece and Denmark in the grand totals were estimated by using the last available information.

Natural gas market - Import & Production (IMPRO)

The information in Table 1 refers to the total number of companies that either produce natural gas by indigenous production or bring natural gas into the country by import (IMPRO companies). In 2011, the total number of IMPRO companies remained limited to one single company in four EU Member States (Latvia, Estonia, Sweden and Finland). The use of natural gas in these countries can be considerate low to moderate. Between 2010 and 2011, the total number of IMPRO companies remained stable in 11 EU Member States but increases could be observed in 7 Member States, while the number of IMPRO companies went down in the Czech Republic, France, Austria, Portugal, Sweden and in the UK (the Netherlands did not report this indicator).

Table 2 shows the number of main IMPRO companies that have a market coverage of at least 5 % of the total national indigenous production and import of natural gas. Six EU Member States declared only one single enterprise to have a significant share in 2011. In the UK and in Germany there are six IMPRO companies of considerable size compared to seven companies in 2010. In Hungary the number of main IMPRO companies with a share of over 5 % decreased with two enterprises in 2011 compared to one year earlier. During the period 2003-2011, the number of main IMPRO companies (> 5 %) fluctuated between 52 and 73 companies, In 2010 and in 2011, the number of main companies is above the number of the reported main companies between 2003 and 2009.

Figure 1 displays the cumulated shares of main IMPRO companies in a given country having a share of at least 5 % of their respective national markets. Denmark, Luxembourg, Greece, Slovakia and the Netherlands did not report this indicator. The lowest market coverage of IMPRO companies was reported by Italy (70%), which means that about 30% if the total national Italian market is covered by relative small IMPRO companies.

Table 3 displays the market share of the largest IMPRO company in 2011 in percentage of national indigenous production and import. Apart from Estonia, Finland, Sweden and Latvia, where only one entity dominates the national production/import, figures above 90 % for the largest IMPRO company are observed in Bulgaria (99.8 %), Poland (96.9 %)and Slovenia (91.7 %). The lowest market penetration of the largest IMPRO company on national level can be observed in the UK (24.0 %), followed by Germany (27.1 %),

Natural gas market - Retail

EU Member States (plus Croatia, Serbia, FYROM and Turkey) also reported information concerning the retailing (sales) sector for natural gas.

Table 4 presents information of the total number of retailing companies that sell natural gas to final customers. The most outstanding changes can be observed for Belgium, where the total number of retailers went down during 2011 from 41 to 17 retailers, whereas in the UK the number went up from 19 to 46 retailers.

Table 5 shows the number of main retailers (retailers are considered as "main" if they sell at least 5 % of the total national natural gas consumption), the figures remain quite stable during the last eight years. 18 main retailers can be found in the UK, six in Spain and in Hungary. Markets where only one main retailer is dealing with the sales of natural gas are registered in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Finland. The most outstanding change that can be observed from table 5 is the decrease of 4 main retailers in Hungary. In the UK, this number increased with 12 companies in 2011.

Figure 2 illustrates the cumulative market shares of main natural gas retailers for all EU Member States (except Denmark, Greece and Sweden that did not supply this information), plus Croatia, Turkey, Serbia and FYROM. If one looks to the remaining retail-market, which is the market that is covered by non-main retail companies that have a market coverage of less then 5 %, this market for "minor" retail companies is the largest in Germany (85.8 %). The market for "minor" retail companies is below 10 % in 9 out of 22 EU countries that reported this information.

Table 6 displays the market share of the largest natural gas retailer in 2011 in percentage of total national consumption. Apart from Latvia, where only one entity dominates the national sales market, figures above 90 % for the largest retail company can be found in Lithuania (98.0 %), Poland (93.5 %) and in Estonia (90.0 %). A relative small market penetration for the largest retail company on national level can be observed in Germany (7.3 %), followed by Hungary (21.9 %) and Italy (25.7 %).

Data sources and availability

The information used to create this article was collected on the basis of a questionnaire "Competition Indicators for the natural gas market 2011".

All EU Member States (except Malta and Cyprus) plus Croatia, Serbia, the FYROM and Turkey returned the questionnaires to Eurostat but sometimes information for individual indicators were not reported either for confidentiality reasons of simply because the data was not available.

The reporting was done on a voluntary basis.

Context

Since July 2004, small business consumers in the EU have been free to switch their gas or electricity supplier, and in July 2007 this option was extended to all consumers. Independent national regulatory authorities have been established across the Member States to ensure that suppliers and network companies operate correctly. However, a number of shortcomings were identified in the opening-up of markets, and it was therefore decided to embark upon a third legislative package of measures with the aim of ensuring that all users could take advantage of the benefits provided by a truly competitive energy market. The European Commission launched its third legislative package to liberalise energy markets in September 2007. These proposals were designed to: create a competitive energy market, expand consumer choice, promote fairer prices, result in cleaner energy, and promote the security of supply. During 2009, a number of these proposals were adopted by the European Parliament and the Council, in particular the Regulation 713/2009 of 13 July 2009 establishing an agency for the cooperation of energy regulators.

Further Eurostat information

Publications

Main tables

Energy Statistics - quantities (t_nrg_quant)
Total production of primary energy (ten00076)
Primary production of natural gas (ten00079)
Net imports of natural gas (ten00085)
Gross inland energy consumption, by fuel (tsdcc320)
Final energy consumption of natural gas (ten00098)
Energy Statistics - prices (t_nrg_price)
Gas prices for industrial consumers (ten00112)
Gas prices for household consumers (ten00113)

Database

Main indicators - Energy Statistics (nrg_indic)
Energy Statistics - Euro-indicators in energy - monthly data (nrg_ind_34m)
Supply of natural gas - monthly data (nrg_ind_343m)
Energy Statistics - quantities (nrg_quant)
Energy Statistics - supply, transformation, consumption (nrg_10)
Supply, transformation, consumption - gas - annual data (nrg_103a)
Supply - gas - monthly data (nrg_103m)
Energy Statistics - infrastructure (nrg_11)
Infrastructure - gas - annual data (nrg_112a)
Energy statistics - imports (by country of origin) (nrg_12)
Imports (by country of origin) - gas - annual data (nrg_124a)
Imports (by country of origin) - gas - monthly data (nrg_124m)
Energy Statistics - exports (by country of destination) (nrg_13)
Exports (by country of destination) - gas - annual data (nrg_134a)
Exports (by country of destination) - gas - monthly data (nrg_134m)
Energy Statistics - prices (nrg_price)
Energy Statistics: gas and electricity prices - New methodology from 2007 onwards (nrg_pc)
Gas - domestic consumers - half-yearly prices - New methodology from 2007 onwards (nrg_pc_202)
Gas - industrial consumers - half-yearly prices - New methodology from 2007 onwards (nrg_pc_203)

Dedicated section

Source data for tables, figures and maps on this page (MS Excel)

Methodology / Metadata

Other information

  • Commission Communication COM final 0115/2009 of 11 March 2009 – Report on progress in creating the internal gas and electricity market
  • Directive 2003/55/EC of 26 June 2003 concerning common rules for the internal market in natural gas and repealing Directive 98/30/EC
  • Regulation 713/2009 of 13 July 2009 establishing an Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators
  • Regulation 1775/2005 of 28 September 2005 on conditions for access to the natural gas transmission networks conditions for access to the natural gas transmission networks

External links

See also

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