ACM: transmission tariffs for natural gas to go down in 2024
The tariffs that Dutch transmission system operator for natural gas Gasunie Transport Services B.V. (GTS) is allowed to charge network users for the transmission of natural gas will go down by, on average, 20 percent in 2024. Since the costs for natural-gas transmission represent only a small part of the total energy bill of consumers, they are expected to see their energy bills go down by less than 5%.
As a result of the extraordinary circumstances on the energy market, GTS in 2022 earned more revenues than ACM had allowed. For example, a lot more capacity was booked in 2022 for transporting natural gas on the interconnection point between the Netherlands and Belgium because of the altered gas flows in Europe. Following the loss of Russian natural gas, much more gas needs to be imported from LNG terminals in Belgium and the UK. These revenues will be returned to the market in 2024 through the tariffs. In addition, GTS projects to sell slightly more transmission capacity in 2024, which causes tariffs to go down. On the other hand, GTS has also incurred additional costs because of the current market situation, for example when buying energy. ACM also takes that into account when setting the 2024 tariffs.
Each year, the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) sets the tariffs for GTS. System operators enjoy a monopoly on the transmission and distribution of natural gas and electricity. By annually setting the tariffs that GTS is allowed to charge network users, ACM ensures that the transmission tariffs are not too high. At the same time, the tariff decision offers system operators assurance that their efficient costs are compensated and that they earn market-based returns on their investments, so that, for example, they are able to make investments that are necessary for the energy transition. As such, ACM thus helps realize an affordable, secure, and sustainable supply of energy.
See also
25-05-2023 Tariff decision GTS 2024 (in Dutch)