Transmission Pipeline Access

As of June 2016, the Maui and Vector pipelines came under the ownership of First Gas Limited, who wish to converge the two existing access arrangements into a single access regime. Until that occurs, the existing regimes defined by the Maui Pipeline Operating Code (MPOC) and the Vector Transmission Code (VTC) will apply.

Details of these existing access arrangements can be found on the Open Access Transmission Information System (OATIS) website at:  https://www.oatis.co.nz/Ngc.Oatis.UI.Web.Internet/Common/OatisLogin.aspx

 Details of the forthcoming GTAC regime are discussed in the Developing section.

First Gas aims to introduce the GTAC project and its supporting IT system, TACOS (Transmission Access Commercial Operating System) in October 2021. Communications and updates on that work can be found on the First Gas website.

Listed in the left-hand navigation pane are the various stages of the GTAC development and assessment. The assessments relate to Gas Industry Co’s consideration of whether the GTAC would provide access that is materially better than the existing terms and conditions for access to and use of gas transmission pipelines.

The GTAC development work described in the Developing section has overtaken our previous work in relation to transmission pipeline access. However, many of the GTAC innovations are in response to problems identified with the MPOC and VTC access regimes. For completeness, we retain an archive of that earlier work in this section.

In Gas Industry Co's 2006 Transmission Access Issues Review paper we identified access to short-term capacity on the Vector pipeline as an issue. In 2009, a capacity constraint in Vector's North Pipeline caught some pipeline users by surprise. End users wishing to obtain bids for their gas supply found it was often only the incumbent supplier who could make an unconditional offer. Gas Industry Co’s analysis of the issue caused Vector and its Shippers to put in place a package of measures known as 'the Bridge Commitments' aimed at ensuring large end users had an effective choice of supplier.

For the longer term, Gas Industry Co continued its analysis of capacity issues as part of a set of projects known as the Gas Transmission Investment Programme (GTIP). While some improvements have resulted, particularly in the approach to analysing and reporting pipeline capacity, some fundamental problems remained. See the Developing section for information on how these are to be addressed.

Links to previous papers, submissions and workshop presentations are provided below:

Short-Term Capacity

• The Bridge Commitments
• Retail Competition Workshop (April 2011)  
• Retail Competition and Transmission Capacity Statement of Proposal (November 2010)
• Capacity Workshop (September 2010)

Long-Term Capacity

• Proposed Gas Transmission Investment Project (April 2011)
• Investment and Access Workshop (April 2011)
• Capacity Workshop (August 2010)
• Capacity Workshop (June 2010)
• Options for Vector Transmission Capacity: Statement of Proposal (May 2010)