Role of underground gas storage in the EU gas market

One of the main intentions of the European Union is to create common and liberalizated market of natural gas in Europe. Actions has been taken in this area for a few years, however achived effects do not reach the aims that were assumed at the beginning. The quantity of natural gas consumption in the European Union during last years is characterized by a declining tendency (decreasing usage of natural gas in power sector, higher temperature during autumn and winter season also infulences on limiting of natural gas demand), in 2012 the consumption was forming on the level of 444 billion m3, and for example in 2008 it amounted to 497 billion m3. The regulations concerning the natural gas market embrace all of the elements which have an impact on building consolidated and liberalizated market, it means: transfer, distribution and LNG, storage. The authors of this article wants to draw one's attention to the particular role of underground gas storages and depict change of the tasks, which they have to fulfill on the liberalizating market of natural gas in Europe (ie. Price arbitration). The purpose of this article is to presentthe current situation on the market of storage services, which means available storage capacities, the level of their usage and plans regarding extension and constructing of new capacities.