DEPA cancels 2 LNG orders submitted to TotalEnergies

A sharp reduction in domestic natural gas consumption has prompted gas utility DEPA to cancel two LNG orders submitted to TotalEnergies a few months ago as part of the country’s overall effort to bolster energy security ahead of this winter period, energypress sources have informed.

The cancellation will not come without repercussions as DEPA, based on the agreement’s terms, will be required to pay TotalEnergies compensation of approximately 10 million euros for each cancelled order. This sum may be covered by the Energy Transition Fund, as foreseen by law.

DEPA’s cancellations concern two LNG orders submitted in September, each for 10 TWh quantities. These orders were secured at particularly competitive prices as other indices besides the TTF were also factored into the pricing formula to lower the price level. At the time, the TTF was as much as 90 euros per MWh higher than other platforms also used for such transactions in the European market.

The two DEPA orders were planned for delivery between November, 2022 and March, 2023 as cover in the event of a disruption of Russian gas supply to Greece. But the orders have ended up proving excessive given the prevailing conditions.