Annual Report 2011

Press release

First natural gas from Swissgas investment in the UK

05.09.2012

Natural gas from the Clipper South gas field in the British North Sea for the first time.

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The "Swiss Natural Gas System"

Only around 0.7% of all the natural gas consumed in Europe is used by Switzerland.  There are German cities with a natural gas requirement equivalent to the whole of Switzerland.  In the Seventies, the Swiss natural gas industry was aware that it could only achieve economic and consistently reliable procurement for the benefit of consumers by having effective and efficient access to the European wholesale market for natural gas.  Consequently, combined procurement was essential (see chart).

 

 

The natural gas procured by Swissgas and regional companies (marked in blue) is supplied at cost to the pertinent shareholders – final distributors and industrial companies (marked in green). This structure ensures that the natural gas in the "Swiss Natural Gas System" arrives at all times economically, in the right form at the right place.  It is a federal system, which is set up on the basis of cost optimisation and is not for profit. As a result, the joint strength can be used when purchasing whilst, at the same time, ensuring the decentralised contact to the customer.