A new gas benchmark for southern Europe

New lease of life is raising the profile of a once-moribund hub

The Italian PSV gas trading hub was once something of a backwater in terms of regional trade, but rising activity over recent years means it is fast becoming a possible regional benchmark for natural gas trade. PSV, launched in 2003, reached a record high in traded volumes in January 2019, bringing a once illiquid, non-competitive market to levels of maturity similar to those of Austria, France and Germany. "Since 2014, the PSV has grown from strength to strength not only in volumes but also in the number of participants, including non-industry financial participants, and in 2018 had its best year ever," says Patrick Heather, senior research fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies.