Regional gas transmission companies agree to work jointly
Staff Report

ISLAMABAD—New Europe Transmission System (NETS), the initiative to create an independent, regionally integrated, gas pipeline network business for Central and South-East Europe by combining a number of the region’s leading gas transportation businesses, was discussed in a roundtable meeting held recently in Bucharest (Romania).
Chief Executives and other senior Board Members of seven of the region’s gas transportation companies met for two days in Bucharest in order to discuss various strategic and business aspects of the initiative, and shared thoughts on regulatory and political considerations, says a press release received here Monday. The meeting was hosted by Transgaz of Romania. BH-Gas (Bosnia Herzegovina), GEOPLIN PLINOVODI (Slovenia), MOL Natural Gas Transmission (Hungary), OMV GAS (Austria), Plinacro (Croatia) and Srbijagaz (Serbia) also participated in the meeting.
Following the meeting, the companies represented at the event agreed to start a feasibility study of creating NETS, by establishing joint working groups to explore the potential benefits of the NETS concept further and analyze its potential business advantages and how NETS can be realized. The NETS concept was proposed by MOL, Hungarian Gas Transmission Company in December 2007. NETS shall have the scope to attract capital, accelerate infrastructure development and interconnectivity, enhance value, competition and the supply security of the region. Transgaz’s CEO Loan Rusu said after the meeting, “This has been atremendously successful meeting and a move forward for NETS, this was one-of-a- kind initiative in Europe. It demonstrates the high level of business cooperation our companies are capable of, as well as the commitment to competitiveness we are aiming to achieve in the context of an integrated European energy market”. It was a great honour for BH-Gas to attend today’s meeting, he added. This event is of great importance for both BiH and BH-Gas, taking into account that the natural gas field in BiH is still developing compared to other companies in the region.
“This is great step forward for NETS, as seven of the regions’ leading companies have today said that they support the concept in principle and are interested in working together to see how it can best be turned into reality”, commented Dr. Janos Zsuga, the CEO of MOL Natural Gas Transmission Ple.