Deutsche ReGas, a private operator of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal, has expressed concerns about competition from the state-owned Deutsche Energy Terminal (DET), alleging that DET's pricing practices threaten its business, according to Reuters.
Deutsche ReGas CEO Ingo Wagner told reporters that since Christmas 2024, the company has faced unequal competition with DET. He stated that while DET is required by state rules to avoid pricing below cost, the state-subsidized entity can offer prices that private companies like ReGas cannot match.
ReGas operates the Deutsche Ostsee terminal, the only such facility in the Baltic Sea, which it considers crucial for supplying gas to countries like the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
DET is scheduled to hold short-term auctions for regasification capacity at Wilhelmshaven and Brunsbuettel in the North Sea on February 4, 5, and 6. The company's operations were approved under European Commission state aid rules last December.
A DET spokesperson told Reuters that short-term auctions in December helped ensure supply security amid low booking interest and that the company is complying with regulatory requirements for marketing regasification capacity.