Gas Market Characteristics
Wholesale market
Natural gas acquisition and flows
Gas purchases from abroad, in the amount of 168.5 TWh, were supplemented with gas from domestic sources in the amount of 37.8 TWh. Total gas supplies from abroad included imports and intra-community acquisitions. The change in natural gas stocks was 8.1 TWh.
Through the Polish transmission system flowed 225.0 TWh of high-methane gas and 9.1 TWh of nitrogenous gas. The following table presents the most important directions of gas flow in the transmission system.
Balance of trade flows* of high-methane gas through the National Transmission System and the Transit Gas Pipeline System and nitrogenous gas through the National Transmission System in 2024 [TWh]
* The data concerns the amount of gas injected into the network and off-taken from the transmission network as a result of execution of transmission agreements by the TSO. This data may differ from the physical flows in the system.
Source: URE based on OGP Gaz-System S.A.
Trade in natural gas
At the end of 2024, 185 entities held a licence to trade in gaseous fuels compared to 178 at the end of 2023. In contrast, 85 companies actively participated in natural gas trading, 100 companies were inactive. Gas trading companies from outside the Orlen Group acquired 73.2 TWh of natural gas. The data on purchase and sale of gas by trading companies are presented in the table below. This value does not incorporate acquisition for own needs by trading companies under monitoring and gas acquisition by energy companies which are large final customers at the same time.
Volumes of gas acquired and sold under wholesale trading by the surveyed trading companies in 2024 [TWh]
Source: URE and Ministry of Climate and Environment’s data
Natural gas exchange
The sale and purchase of gaseous fuels on the Polish wholesale market takes place primarily on the commodity exchange operated by TGE S.A. (Commodity Market − CM and as of 1 May 2020 − Organised Trading Facility – OTF).
In 2024, TGE S.A. operated the following gas sales markets:
- Intra-day Market (IDMg)
- Day-Ahead Market (DAMg)
- Gas Forwards Market of the Organized Trading Facility (GDM OTF)
In 2024, as a result of contracts concluded on TGE S.A., in the entire period of listing a given type of contract, 136,948,385 MWh of natural gas were delivered at an average price of 247.03 PLN/MWh:
- 3,821,712 MWh on the IDMg market at the average price of 172.32 PLN/MWh
- 21,477,760 MWh on the DAMg market at the average price of 179.06 PLN/MWh;
- 111,648,913 MWh on the forwards market at the average price of 262.67 PLN/MWh
As a result of performance of contracts executed in the virtual point on the Over-the-Counter (OTC) market, regardless of the contract conclusion date, a total of 25.0 TWh of natural gas was delivered at an average price of 190.30 PLN/MWh.
Retail market
The retail gas market is understood as the market for sales to final customers, irrespective of the volume of fuel purchased.
In 2024, a total of 11 companies were engaged in the sale of natural gas to final customers connected to the transmission network. At the end of the year, suppliers had 201 contracts in place with the DSOs allowing sales on the retail. A total of 26 companies were actively involved in sales to households, and 83 companies served other types of customers.
In the area of the distribution network (PSG Sp. z o.o.) the number of contracts for gas supplies amounted to 54. Of these, 20 companies supplied natural gas to households, and 44 to other customers.
As of December 31, 2024, 7,078,563 recipients (7,734,861 gas consumption points) were connected to the DSO networks covered by the survey.
Final customers connected to the gas distribution grid
Source: URE based on Ministry of Climate and Environment’s data
Total sales of high-methane and nitrogenous gaseous fuel to final customers in 2024 amounted to 193,632,794 MWh, of which 28.20% went to households.
Structure of high-methane and nitrogenous gas sales to final customers in 2024 [MWh]
Source: URE based on survey data
The retail market for natural gas (high-methane and nitrogenous) is characterized by strong concentration. The share of the Orlen Group entities in the sale of gas to final customers connected to distribution network was 85 %.
In 2024, the total volume of LNG sales by the surveyed suppliers to final users amounted to 2,868,171 MWh.
Structure of LNG sales to final customers in 2024 [MWh]
Source: URE based on survey data
Similarly to the measures applied in the electricity sector, appropriate regulatory solutions were introduced in the gas sector in response to the extraordinary circumstances prevailing in the energy market. These measures aimed to protect household consumers and entities responsible for essential public utility services from increases in natural gas prices.
In the first half of 2024, the support mechanism remained the same as in the previous year. For eligible consumers, a maximum gas price was applied at the level of 200.17 PLN/MWh net, and the subscription fee rate was frozen at the level applicable on 1 January 2022. Additionally, the rates for the provision of gaseous fuel distribution services were frozen at the level of the distribution rates from the distribution system operator's tariff, applicable on 31 December 2022.
In the second half of the year, the following maximum gas prices were set for eligible consumers:
- 239.65 PLN/MWh net for consumers in tariff groups with hourly consumption not exceeding 110 kWh/h,
- 239.18 PLN/MWh for consumers ordering a contracted capacity above 110 kWh/h.
Moreover, the subscription fee rate remained frozen at the level applicable on 1 January 2022. As of July 1, 2024 the distribution fee rates included in the applicable gas distribution tariffs were applied.