Requests for Expression of Interest in Offering “Agent on Behalf” and “Central Buyers” Services

Modified on: Wed, 19 Apr, 2023 at 10:29 AM

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Overview


Requests for Expression of interest in offering “Agent on behalf” services and “Central buyers” services, in the context of the demand aggregation and tendering process of gas under the EU energy purchase platform being established according to COUNCIL REGULATION EU 2022/2576 of 19 December 2022.


General Information


The demand aggregation and joint tendering of gas services under the EU Energy Platform (hereinafter, AggregateEU), to be established according to COUNCIL REGULATION EU 2022/2576 of 19 December 2022, is currently being set-up.


PRISMA European Capacity Platform GmbH has been selected by the European Commission as the service provider, responsible for developing and implementing the AggregateEU.


The first round of demand aggregation and joint tendering of gas via AggregateEU is expected to start by late-April 2023, with the subscription of the interested company to AggregateEU starting beginning of April.


AggregateEU will, among the other things, allow undertakings including large gas consumers, consortia of consumers and retailers to buy liquified natural gas (LNG) Free On-Board vessel (F.O.B. vessel) or at selected Virtual Trading Point(s). We expect that some market participants, willing to source gas via AggregateEU, might have limited or no experience in the logistics activities necessary to arrange:


  • regassification of LNG purchased F.O.B. vessel;

  • profiling of large lumps of LNG into monthly baseload products, suitable to meet typical consumption needs or to be traded in the market

  • making the gas available in the market area where it will be consumed

  • shipping gas through several National Balancing Areas (from one Virtual Trading Point to another), including acting as balance responsible party

  • ensuring storage of gas.


Gas tendered via AggregateEU and subsequently contracted by the parties will be delivered to undertakings established in a Member States or in an Energy Community Contracting Party¹.


In this situation, undertakings with the necessary resources and competencies have the opportunity to supply logistic and/or negotiation services to the buyers of gas participating in AggregateEU. We refer to those services as Agent on behalf.


We also expect that companies, for instance, that do not possess the minimum requirements or do not meet the minimum demand threshold (300 GWh for virtual LNG, 5 GWh for NBP/VTP) for independently being a buyer in AggregateEU, may be interested in participating in AggregateEU. To support the participation of these companies in AggregateEU, undertakings with the necessary resources and competencies have the opportunity offer services as “Central Buyer”.


A Central Buyer will perform all the necessary activities on behalf of the companies that subscribe for this service to purchase natural gas via AggregateEU. These activities include:


  • registration on PRISMA European Capacity Platform,

  • subscription to AggregateEU, including the registration of the information about the companies for which the Central Buyers is buying the gas,

  • submission of the  aggregated demand, according to the needs of the companies for which the Central Buyers is buying the gas,

  • negotiation of the contract with the potential sellers and signing of contracts.


In order to facilitate the meeting of demand and offer of Agent on behalf and Central Buyer services, AggregateEU will host a list of companies offering Agent on behalf and Central Buyer services.


Companies offering these services will need to follow the principles on cooperation framework published by the EU Commission. For further information please follow this link


The list of Agent on behalf service providers and of Central Buyer service providers hosted on AggregateEU is for information purposes only. The presence of a company on these lists is in no way a pre-condition for the provision of its Agent on behalf and Central Buyer services, and buyers remain free to choose the provider of such services outside these list. The presence of a company on these lists does not commit the company to meet any demand of Agent on behalf or Central Buyer services by AggregateEU users or interested companies, nor to the commercial terms, conditions and the prices for those services. No specific reporting requirements will be placed on the agreements concerning the supply of Agent on behalf and/or Central Buyer services for transactions resulting from AggregateEU operations.


However, we expect that companies wishing to be presented in AggregateEU as potential suppliers of Agent on behalf and/or Central Buyer services:


  • have a genuine interest in providing those services at market-based rates, passing-on the prices for the purchase of gas it negotiated, to the buyers, without deriving rents from purchase of the commodity itself.

  • have adequate capabilities and resources;

  • will make the necessary arrangements to swiftly respond to the queries on their availability to provide service, that AggregateEU participants might place before the demand aggregation or after matching process; and

  • will negotiate in good faith with potential clients.


Submission of the expression of interest as Agent on Behalf

Companies wishing to be listed in AggregateEU as potential providers of Agent on behalf services need to:


  • register at the PRISMA Platform and subscribe to AggregateEU; and

  • submit their application directly to PRISMA with this form.


Companies wishing to be listed in AggregateEU will have to indicate in their Expression of interest the following information:


  • which services they would like to offer as Agent on Behalf; and

  • for which markets they will be willing to offer the services of Agent on Behalf


Once the application is processed, only the provided contact information of the company will be included in the list of suppliers of Agent on behalf services. The list will be visible to all the parties interested in AggregateEU.


Submission of the expression of interest as Central Buyers

Companies wishing to be listed in AggregateEU as potential providers of Central Buyer services need to:


  • be established in a Member States or in an Energy Community Contracting Party¹;
  • register at the PRISMA Platform and subscribe to AggregateEU; and

  • submit their application directly to PRISMA with this form.


Companies wishing to be listed in AggregateEU will have to indicate in their Expression of interest for which markets they will be willing to offer the services of Central Buyers.


Once the application is processed, only the provided contact information of the company will be included in the list of suppliers of Central Buyer services. The list will be visible to all the parties interested in AggregateEU.


Submit your application directly to PRISMA with this form.


¹ Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, the Republic of North Macedonia, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, and Ukraine



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