Conferintele Energy-Center: bursele de gaze – o noutate nu numai pentru RomaniaThe Energy-Center Conferences: the Gas Exchanges Are Not News Just in Romania

Publicatia Energy-Center a adus pentru prima data in dezbatere publica existenta si functionarea bursei de gaze din Romania, un domeniu pe care legislatia in vigoare il defineste inca intr-un mod “cu specific romanesc”. Avem o premiera absoluta in aceasta piata, respectiv licentierea a doua platforme de tranzactionare (OPCOM si BRM), dar nu prea avem ce tranzactiona, in conditiile unei productii mai mici decat consumul. Cu toate acestea, anii care vin vor schimba radical fata pietei de gaze naturale din Romania, iar daca primii pasi pentru constituirea unei burse de gaze vor fi facuti corect, tara noastra si-ar putea atinge obiectivul, ratat in cazul pietei de energie electrica, respectiv acela de a ajunge un pol regional in domeniul tranzactionarii gazelor naturale.

Trebuie sa recunoastem ca problematica pe care ne-am propus-o in cadrul Conferintei “Bursa de gaze – de la monopol la libera concurenta” a fost atinsa insuficient, cultura bursiera din Romania fiind inca departe de ce ar trebui sa fie. A fost totusi un inceput care ne-a dovedit ca exista interes, dar lipseste adesea vointa de a ne plia celor mai noi mecanisme ale pietei libere. Cu promisiunea ca vom reveni asupra acestui subiect redam mai jos cateva din opiniile participantilor la Conferinta organizata de Energy-Center, pe tema viitoarei sau viitoarelor burse de gaze din Romania.

Niculae Havrilet – presedinte ANRE: “Procesul de liberalizare a pietelor de energie electrica si gaze naturale a fost foarte bine vazut de catre reprezentantii institutiilor financiare internationale (FMI, CE sau BM-n.r), dar trebuie sa recunoastem ca in zona gazelor aceste aprecieri contin si o nota serioasa de ingrijorare. A fost o crestere etapizata a preturilor pornindu-se de la un nivel de baza coborat, motiv pentru care procentele de crestere au fost aproape nesemnificative in ponderea facturii. Acum insa, am ajuns la o paritate intre pretul de import si cel din productia interna, de 1 la 2 (220 dolari/1000 mc-intern, fata de 400 dolari/1000 mc extern), iar orice majorare se va simti mai puternic in factura consumatorilor. Recunoastem ca o sa fie probleme pentru consumatorii industriali si implicit efecte de natura sociala. Am avut deja probleme la producatorii de energie electrica pe baza de carbune, dar in urma restructurarilor de acolo multe dintre acestea au disparut. Scaderea consumului duce la restrangerea pietei, iar presiunea cea mai mare vine din zona consumatorilor industriali si mai putin a celor casnici. Cu toate acestea procesul de liberalizare nu mai poate fi stopat.

In domeniul gazelor naturale, bursa este voluntara si nu obligatorie, ca in cazul energiei electrice. De asemenea, in timp ce la energie avem o productie mai mare decat cererea, la gaze este invers, productia nu asigura consumul. In context, exportul de gaze nu este posibil in momentul de fata, decat virtual, prin metoda backhaul. Lucrurile se vor schimba insa, dupa modernizarea instalatiilor in cazul conductei Arad-Szeged si dupa punerea in functiune a conductei Giurgiu-Ruse, iar mai tarziu a celei dintre Iasi si Ungheni”.

Rodin Traicu – deputat Comisia pentru Industrii si Servicii: “Romania a transpus Directiva 73/2009, a elaborat Legea energiei si gazelor (123/2012), dar aceste reglementari nu acopera in totalitate protectia consumatorului final. Avem nevoie de o bursa de gaze functionala, nu inainte de a identifica trei factori cheie in functionarea acesteia- cultura bursiera, care este inca foarte restransa , adoptarea legislatiei primare si secundare corespunzatoare conditiilor de piata si stabilirea clara a procedurilor care sa asigure siguranta tranzactiilor. Trebuie sa definim clar termenii de utilitate publica si marfa, in cazul gazelor naturale, caci bursele tranzactioneaza marfuri, dar este foarte greu sau imposibil sa tranzactionezi o utilitate publica”

Victor Ionescu – director general OPCOM: “Nu se pune problema unei adversitati intre cele doua platforme de tranzactionare, dar s-a invocat aici experienta pozitiva a functionarii pietei de electricitate, care aredeja repere pentru stabilirea unui pret de referinta la energie electrica. Acelasi lucru il va face si bursa de gaze, dar nu atat de repede, dat fiind faptul ca inclusiv experienta internationala in domeniul burselor de gaze este destul de redusa. Exista in Europa doar sase burse de gaze si noua tari care au adoptat acest mecansim, ceea ce inseamna ca Romania este printre primele tari europene care au adoptat mecanismele concurentiale in domeniu. Pretul corect intr-o piata libera este cel stabilit de parti. In cazul bursei, diferenta specifica pe care o propune atat OPCOM cat si BRM este aceea de a pune la dispozitie instrumente de tranzactionare cand sunt mai multi parteneri. Scopul final al unei burse este acela de a da participantilor la piata instrumente care sa indice pretul de referinta si acesta este dat in general de piata SPOT”.

Septimiu Stoica – presedintele Bursei Romane de Marfuri: “Cele doua platforme de tranzactionare a gazelor naturale trebuie sa castige mai intai increderea clientilor si de abia apoi sa se gandeasca la o concurenta intre ele. Este esential ca in contextul actual bursele sa-si dovedeasca utilitatea. Noi simpatizam cu problema marilor consumatori de gaze, dar ii indemn pe acestia sa -nu traga in pianist-si sa nu interpreteze bursele de gaze ca pe un dusman al lor. Liberalizarea pietei se va face oricum, cu sa fara burse. In lipsa burselor ea va fi insa o liberalizare salbatica. Bursa va optimiza afacerile, caci aceasta este ratiunea ei. Consumatorii au interese majore pentru ca tranzactiile sa se faca in ringul bursier, unde exista transparenta, corectitudine si tratamente egale pentru toti participantii”.Energy-Center has launched the first public debate on the existence and operation of gas exchanges in Romania – a sector still defined by the laws in force in a ‘specific Romanian’ way. We are seeing an all-time premiere in this market – the licensing of two trading platforms, OPCOM (Romanian Gas and Electricity Market Operator) and BRM (the Romanian Commodities Exchange), but there’s little to trade, as the production does not cover the consumption. Nevertheless, the coming years will bring a radical changes on the natural gas market of Romania, and if the first steps towards a gas exchange are correct, Romania could reach its objective of becoming a regional trading pole – a goal missed by the electricity market.

Trebuie sa recunoastem ca problematica pe care ne-am propus-o in cadrul Conferintei “Bursa de gaze – de la monopol la libera concurenta” a fost atinsa insuficient, cultura bursiera din Romania fiind inca departe de ce ar trebui sa fie. It was, however, a beginning showing that the interest exists, while the will to adapt to the newest mechanisms of the free market is often lacking. Promising to return to this matter, we are now offering some of the opinions of the contributors to the Conference hosted by Energy-Center on the future gas exchange(s) of Romania.

Mr. Niculae Havrilet – president of the ANRE (Romanian Energy Regulatory Authority): “The process of liberalization of the electricity and natural gas markets was extremely well received by the representatives of the international financial institutions (editor’s note: the IMF, the EC, and the World Bank), but we have to admit that for the gas sector these approvals also include a serious concern. The prices have increased in steps, from a low base level, and therefore the percent increases were almost insignificants in the bills. Now we have reached a 1:2 ratio between the prices of import and internal production – $220 per 1000 cubic meters for the internal production and $400 per 1000 cubic meters for imports – and any price surge will have a stronger impact on the end users’ bills. We admit that there will be troubles for industrial consumers, and inevitably some social effects. We already seen problems at the coal-based electricity producers, but the restructuring there phased them out. Lower consumptions lead to market shrinkage, with the highest pressure coming from the industrial consumers, and less from the households. Nevertheless, the liberalization process is now inevitable.

For the natural gas, the exchange is an option, not an obligation like for the electricity. Also, while the electricity production capacities exceed the demand, for the gases the situation is opposite – the production does not cover the consumption. In this context, exporting gas is now impossible, other than virtually, by backhaul. But the things will change after the upgrades of the equipments for the Arad-Szeged pipeline and the commissioning of the Giurgiu-Ruse pipeline, and later of the pipeline between Iasi and Ungheni”.

Mr. Rodin Traicu – deputy, member of the Industries and Services Committee: “Romania has implemented the [European] Directive 73/2009, and drafted the Energy and Gas Law [123/2012], but these regulation do not completely cover the protection of the end users. We need a functional gas exchange, but not before identifying three key items for its operation: an exchange culture, which is still very poor, adopting the primary and secondary regulations correlated with the market conditions, and setting clear procedures to ensure the trading safety. We must clearly define the terms of public utility and commodity for the natural gases, as the exchanges trade commodities, while public utilities are hard or impossible to trade”

Mr. Victor Ionescu – general manager of OPCOM: “An adversity between the two trading platforms is out of question, but there has been here a mention of the positive experience of the operation of the electricity market, who already has benchmarks for setting a reference price for electricity. The same will be true for the gas exchange, but not so fast, since even international experience for gas exchanges is quite limited. There are only six gas exchanges and nine countries using this mechanism in Europe, which puts Romania among the first European countries to implement competition mechanisms in this field. The right price on a free market is the one agreed between the parties. For the exchange, the specific difference proposed both by OPCOM and BRM resides in offering trading instruments for multiple partners. The final goal of an exchange is to provide instruments for the market actors, indicating the reference price – and this is generally given by the spot market”.

Mr. Septimiu Stoica – president of the Romanian Commodities Exchange: “The two trading platforms for natural gas must win first the clients’ confidence, and only after that think about competing each other. It is essential for the exchanges to prove their utility in the existing context. We are empathizing with the big gas consumers confronted by problems, but my call for them is ‘don’t shoot the piano player’ – and don’t see the gas exchanges as an enemy. The market will be liberalized anyhow, with or without the exchanges. Without the exchanges, though, the liberalization will be wild. The exchange will optimize the business, which is its very reason of existence. The consumers are very interested in trading within the exchange, where there’s transparency, correctness, and equal treatment for all the players”.