Endesa operates in the natural gas sector in Spain, in both the regulated and deregulated segment, and mainly in the business of gas distribution and the sale of natural gas and integrated services to customers. The company also takes part in reception, storage, regasification and LNG transport projects.
Endesa carries out these activities via Endesa Gas, which has interests in various transport and distribution companies. In 2010, the company agreed to sell 80% of Endesa Gas to several infrastructure funds managed by Goldman Sachs, retaining the remaining 20% and a call option on the stake sold. Following this transaction, Endesa Gas holds stakes in D.C. Gas Extremadura, Gasificadora Regional Canaria and Gas Extremadura Transportista.
In 2011, Endesa signed a contract with Gas Natural S.D.G., S.A. to acquire a portfolio of approximately 245,000 gas customers and other associated contracts in the Madrid region. With this acquisition, Endesa consolidates its position as the second-ranked gas supplier in Spain.
Total gas sales in Spain in 2011 stood at 55.66 TWh, up 12% compared with 2010. Endesa continued to strengthen its position in natural gas supply in Spain, France and Portugal, consolidating its status as the second-ranked gas supplier in Spain with an overall market share of 15% (conventional market).
In France and Portugal, volume sales totalled 7.0 TWh, a more than threefold increase compared with 2010.
Conventional market. At 31 December 2011, Endesa’s customer portfolio in the conventional gas market (excluding sales for electricity generation) consisted of 1 million supply points, with a consumption of 48.7 TWh/year, a year-on-year increase of 18.3%, with energy sold to customers in France and Portugal accounting for 7.0 TWh.
Electricity generation plants. Sales of natural gas to electricity generation plants (bi-combustible and combined cycle plants) totalled 13.9 TWh in 2011, an increase of 29.6% compared with 2010.
Receipt, storage and regasification. Endesa owns a 47.18% stake in Compañía Transportista de Gas Canarias, S.A. (Gascan), which is developing two LNG reception, storage, and regasification plants in the Canary Islands. Each of these plants has a planned storage capacity of 150,000 m3 of LNG and natural gas regasification capacity of 150,000 m3/(n)/h (1.31 bcm/year).