Spargerea producatorilor de gaze: o idee stupida, riscanta, inutila si aproape imposibilaBreaking Up the Gas Producers: Stupid, Risky, Useless, Almost Impossible Idea
Liberalizarea pietei de gaze a intors pe dos intreaga societate romaneasca. Consumatorii au obosit de cand ameninta cu falimentul, distribuitorii sunt ingrijorati de pierderea clientilor, iar producatorii isi freaca mainile de satisfactie. Cele doua platforme de tranzactionare in regim concurential a gazelor naturale isi asteapta clientii, care fug de bursa ca dracul de tamaie. In schimb, pentru a dovedi ca nu putem avea o piata concurentiala, care sa dea un pret de referinta determinat de ecuatia cerere-oferta s-a impus ideea ca in conditii de oligopol pe partea de oferta, bursa nu are cum sa functioneze la parametri firesti.
Energy-Center a surprins in nenumarate randuri elementele care lipsesc unei piete de gaze concurentiale, inclusiv lipsa unui dispecer insarcinat cu echilibrarea, dar asta nu are absolut nici o legatura cu faptul ca avem doar doi producatori (in realitate avem mai multi, chiar daca sunt mai mici) si ca din acest motiv nu trebuie sa construim o piata reala. Exista tari in Europa care au tot doi producatori, sau unul singur si bursa functioneaza bine mersi. Este foarte adevarat, dupa realizarea interconexiunilor cu tarile vecine, un element cheie al oligopolului va disparea. Numai ca, atunci nici piata nu va mai fi una restrictiva exclusiv in granitele nationale. Sa nu anticipam insa.
Asadar, pe fondul liberalizarii pietei inainte de termenul stabilit (pentru consumatorii non-casnici) se cauta tot felul de subterfugii care nasc idei socante. Una dintre acestea este spargerea companiilor producatoare (Romgaz si Petrom) in mai mult companii, astfel incat sa ajungem la o concurenta pe acest segment. Cred ca austriecii de la OMV rad si cu spatele vizavi de aceasta ipoteza. In schimb, Romgaz, companie de stat, se poate astepta la orice din partea actionarului majoritar. Socant este ca insusi presedintele Consiliului Concurentei, care ar trebui sa stie cum sunt asezate alte piete de gaze din Europa, este de acord cu aceasta idee.
“Liberalizarea pietei de gaze este o provocare, in conditiile in care este greu sa existe o piata concurentiala cu doar doi producatori de gaze,” a declarat, presedintele Consiliului Concurentei, Bogdan Chiritoiu, intr-o conferinta pe teme de profil.
Nu stim cat intelege domnul Chiritoiu piata de gaze din Romania, sau cea de energie electrica (apropo, Consiliul Concurentei a lipsit total in cazul contractelor preferentiale cu energie din ultimii ani) , dar ne permitem sa-i reamintim ca orice furnizor de gaze este el insusi o sursa. Cu alte cuvinte, avem trei producatori, si nu doi, in schimb avem licentiati peste 95 de furnizori. Putem avea o piata concurentiala in aceste conditii? Mai mult, daca facem o comparatie intre piata de energie si cea de gaze ajungem la concluzia ca raportul intre numarul de furnizori si producatori este foarte asemanator. Unde-i problema atunci?
Raspunsul, cel putin din acest punct de vedere, este evident. Numai ca Bursa are complicatiile ei, iar consumatorii, distribuitorii au tabieturile lor. E mai simplu sa pui presiune pe guvern, pe ANRE sau pe Ministerul Energiei decat sa inveti si sa respecti regulile Bursei. In fapt, cu toate imperfectiunile ei aceasta este marea provocare a pietei gazelor din Romania: Bursa.
In sinceritatea lui, presedintele Consiliului Concurentei afirmat ca “statul nu poate obliga un operator privat sa se sparga, insa un operator public, teoretic, am putea sa-l spargem”. Cu alte cuvinte hai sa facem praf si Romgazul, cum am facut Conelul, Renelul etc. Si dupa aceea am vrut se le refacem in companii integrate, asta ca o paranteza.
In realitate, liberalizarea pietei gazelor se traduce intr-o mare responsabilitate pentru furnizori, acea sursa despre care vorbeam inainte. Deocamdata ei functioneaza in mare masura pe o piata inca reglementata. Acestia vor trebui sa lucreze cu consumatorii altfel decat pana acum, caci acestia din urma intra in piata libera. Cu siguranta ca un cos de gaze va exista si in viitor (import-intern), numai ca acest cos nu il va mai face ANRE, ci furnizorul insusi. De aici si riscurile pe masura.
In articolul viitor vom continua cu rolul burselor in tot acest context.The liberalization of the gas market has upset the Romanian society. Consumers are tired to menace with going bankrupt; distributors a worried about losing clients; meanwhile, producers rub their hands with satisfaction. The two platforms for the competitive trading of natural gas are awaiting clients; the latter avoid the exchange like plague. On the other hand, the idea that the exchange cannot operate at normal parameters with an oligopoly on the supply side is circulated, to prove that we cannot have a competitive market, which would set a benchmark price based on supply and demand.
Energy-Center has mentioned many times the lacking elements for a competitive gas market, including the lack of a dispatcher to balance the system; this is absolutely unrelated, however, to the fact that we only have two gas producers (actually, there are more of them, but smaller), which for some would make unnecessary the establishment of a real market. There are European markets where the exchanges operate smoothly with only two suppliers, or even with a single one. Indeed, a key element of the oligopoly will disappear when the interconnections with the neighboring countries are in place; but then the market will also expand beyond the national borders. Let’s not anticipate.
So, with the market liberalized ahead the schedule (for non-household consumers), various subterfuges are sought, producing shocking ideas. One of these ideas is breaking up the producer companies Romgaz and Petrom, to create competition on this segment. OMV’s Austrians must laugh their derrieres off about that. On the other hand, state-owned Romgaz can expect anything from its majority stockholder. Disturbingly, even the President of the Competition Council, who should know how other European gas market operate, agrees with this idea.
“The gas market liberalization is a challenge, as the existence of a competitive market is improbable with only two gas producers,” Competition Council President Bogdand Chiritoiu asserted at a specialized conference.
It’s hard to say how much Mr. Chiritoiu understands about the Romanian gas market, or about the electricity one (by the way, the Council was completely absent in the preferential energy contracts over the last years), but we dare mentioning to him that any gas supplier is a source by itself. In other words, we have three producers, not two; otherwise, we have more than 95 licensed suppliers. Can we have a competitive market with them? Moreover, comparing the energy and gas markets, the ratio of suppliers to producers is very similar. So where’s the problem?
The answer is obvious, at least from this point of view. The exchange has its complications, though, and the consumers and distributors have their habits. Its easier to put the government, the Energy Ministry or the Energy Regulatory Authority under pressure than to learn how to abide to exchange’s rules. Actually, as imperfect as it is, the Exchange is the greatest challenge for Romania’s gas market.
With all his sincerity, the Competition Council President said that “the state cannot compel a private operator to break up; but theoretically we could break up a public operator.” In other words, let’s scrap Romgaz like we did with Conel, Renel, etc. Only to try restoring them as integrated companies later, one could add.
Actually, the gas market liberalization adds to the suppliers’ responsibilities, the aforementioned source. So far, they operate mostly on a market that is still regulated. In the future, they will have to deal with consumers in a different way, as the latter enter the free market. Surely, we will still have a gas pool, made up of imported and domestic gas, but the supplier itself, not the Energy Regulatory Authority, will establish it. This also generates some risks.
A future article will refer to the exchanges’ role in this context.
Hai ca ideea e misto. Sondele de la Sarmasel sa fie intr-o societate, alea de la Mures in alta si tot asa. Pai sa vezi atunci concurenta.