Spanish LNG terminal operator Enagas reported a 26.7 percent decline in its profit in the first nine months of this year.
Enagas’ profit after tax (PAT) reached 258.9 million euros ($276.1 million) in the January-September period. This compares to 353.4 million euros ($376.9 million) in the same period in 2022.
Excluding one-off accounting impacts related to Tallgrass Energy and and with the capital gains derived from the sale of Chile’s Quintero LNG import terminal, net profit declined about 16 percent, the firm said.
Enagas said net profit declined “mainly because regulated revenues decreased by 45.9 million euros, mainly due to the application of the 2021-2026 regulatory framework.”
According to Enagas, the firm is “on track” to reach the upper end of the PAT target range of 310-320 million euros by the end of the year.
Spanish LNG storage
Enagas operates a large network of gas pipelines and has four LNG import plants in Barcelona, Huelva, Cartagena, and Gijon.
It also owns 50 percent of the BBG regasification plant in Bilbao and 72.5 percent of the Sagunto plant, while Reganosa operates the Mugardos plant.
In August, Spanish power group Endesa delivered the first commercial cargo to the El Musel LNG terminal in Gijon.
Enagas awarded the logistics services contract to Endesa in July and it also recently completed the sale of a 25 percent stake in the El Musel LNG terminal to Reganosa.
The firm said in the results report that August of this year marked the first time in its history that Spain has managed to fill 100 percent of its underground storage facilities.
Moreover, the average storage level of LNG tanks during the first nine months of the year was 61 percent and, as of 30 September 2023, 46 percent of the LNG stored in Europe was in the tanks of Spanish plants, Enagas said.
Spain plays a key role in Europe’s security of supply and has increased its total gas exports by 32 percent in the first nine months of the year, the firm said.