The Colombian Ministry of Mines and Energy has issued a draft resolution announcing scheduled natural gas rationing to ensure supply to thermal plants on the Caribbean coast. These plants, such as Termocandelaria, Tebsa and Termoflores, located in Cartagena and Barranquilla, depend on the Cartagena Regasification Plant to operate and generate electrical energy. According to the Ministry, rationing is necessary due to the annual maintenance of this plant, which will take place from October 31 to November 4, 2024.
According to the draft, a phased reduction of natural gas supply is planned on different days. On October 31 and November 1, 84.6 million cubic feet per day will be reduced, on November 2 it will be reduced to 75.7 million, on November 3 it will be limited to 60.3 million and on November 4 consumption will be adjusted to 72.4 million cubic feet. These measures seek to balance the supply for thermal plants and the consumption of other essential sectors.
Regarding the allocation of gas, the resolution establishes a hierarchy of priorities. Firstly, essential demand will be met, which includes residential users, small businesses and compression stations of the National Gas Transportation System (SNT), as well as the demand for vehicular natural gas and refineries. Non-essential demands with current contracts will receive the supply according to the agreed conditions and, in the event of a tie, priority will be given to the users with the highest rationing cost.
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The National Government has assured that these measures are temporary and controlled, and that they will be implemented to guarantee the proper functioning of the energy system on the Caribbean coast. However, the resolution does not specify whether rationing will affect the entire country or only this region, which has generated uncertainty in other sectors that depend on the continuous supply of gas.
It is expected that in the coming days a final resolution will be issued that clarifies the pending doubts and makes the start of rationing official. The authorities trust that, through rigorous control and balance in gas distribution, the impact of this measure can be mitigated and ensure stability in the electricity supply during the maintenance period.
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