The partnership
VNG Gas Storage [VNG Gasspeicher GmbH], an EnBW subsidiary, operates natural gas storages and uses compressor stations to inject gas. In order to operate as cost-efficiently as possible, VNG wants to flexibilize when these compressor stations are running. While technical constraints have to be respected at all times, the compressors should be active when prices are low.
The customer
VNG Gas Storage is a wholly owned subsidiary of VNG AG, headquartered in Leipzig. As the third largest storage operator for natural gas in Germany, the company provides a total capacity of around 2.2 billion cubic meters in storage facilities at several locations, particularly Eastern Germany. The geographic location and network connections of the underground gas storage facilities ensure access to important European trading markets. VNG Gas Storage stands for innovative products and individual product combinations that are consistently geared to the market with flexibility and reliability.
"Some years ago, we decided to put an added focus on sustainability. With the support of enspired, we can make our demand flexible, which in turn increases our contribution to the energy transition."
Bernd Protze
Managing Director of VNG Gas Storage
The use case
VNG Gas Storage makes it a priority to guarantee the highest availability and flexibility for customers. In the past, the injection volumes into caverns or reservoirs were optimized purely in accordance with the requirements of the storage facilities. In 2019, VNG Gas Storage decided to use the compressor stations at points in time when a surplus of renewable energy is available, and prices are therefore low.
The integration of VNG Gas Storage’s operational optimization with enspired’s advanced trading technology creates a demand-side flexibility that comes with an increased cost-efficiency of VNG’s natural gas storage management. enspired employs its unique optimization platform to achieve optimal outcomes for combined operational and commercial efforts. As a route-to-market provider, enspired assumes authority for all decisions on short-term power markets to secure the required physical flows of electricity.
The environmental edge
Natural gas storage plays a crucial role in the successful transition to clean energy. Optimizing the dispatch of compressor stations reduces emissions drastically compared to a purely technical dispatch as electricity is consumed at times with a low emissions factor – in other words when there is a high ratio of renewables in the supply chain. In the words of VNG Gas Storage’s Managing Director Bernd Protze, “Some years ago, we decided to put an added focus on sustainability. With the support of enspired, we can make our demand flexible, which in turn increases our contribution to the energy transition.” enspired is committed to being part of the mission, with CGO Jürgen Pfalzer saying, “We are proud to work with VNG Gas Storage on making their electricity consumption more flexible and help them reach their sustainability goals.”
"We are proud to work with VNG Gas Storage on making their electricity consumption more flexible and help them reach their sustainability goals."
Jürgen Pfalzer
Chief Growth Officer