Establishes measures to “guarantee security of supply”
Less than a month after the Iberian Blackout that saw the country starved of electricity for practically 12-hours, president Marcelo has enacted legislation amending the functioning of the nation’s gas system.
The move ensures that a strategic natural gas reserve is created, along with measures to guarantee security of supply.
According to a note on the Presidency’s website, a “law amending Decree-Law No. 62/2020 of August 28, which establishes the organisation and functioning of the National Gas System” was promulgated today.
Decree-Law No. 70/2022 of October 14 was also enacted, adds the note, creating a strategic natural gas reserve belonging to the Portuguese State and establishing extraordinary and temporary measures for reporting information and ensuring security of gas supply.
At the Cabinet meeting on April 23, the Government approved a Decree-Law that “amends the organisation and functioning of the National Gas System, defining the process for the provisional designation of the entity responsible for the planning, development and management of dedicated hydrogen network infrastructure”.
According to a statement, it also designated the Energy Services Regulatory Authority (ERSE) as the regulatory authority for the renewable gas, natural gas and hydrogen market and the Directorate-General for Energy and Geology (DGEG) as the licensing authority.
According to the same note, “the aim is to align the national legislative framework with technological and regulatory developments in the energy sector, particularly with regard to the integration of renewable gases, such as green hydrogen, and low-carbon gases”.
source material: LUSA
