OREANDA-NEWS. On 27 August 2008 was announced, that "Trading" Division of IES-Holding made the first centralized purchase of gas at Mezhregion exchange. "Trading" Division performs the functions of a unified operator for fuel provision to power plants that make part of the Holding Company.

At present "Trading" Division is registered at the Electronic Trading Floor of Mezhregiongaz for trading one month and ten days ahead, and registration is under way for the one-day exchange. Participation in exchange trading makes it possible to promptly purchase extra volumes of gas in addition to the existing contracts or at a better price. "It is a separate instrument that allows us to have more flexibility in response to changing load of power plants", says Eduard Smelov, Executive Vice-President of IES-Holding, Head of "Trading" Division. According to him, the unified decision-making center as regards purchasing of gas at the exchange creates the synergy required to increase the efficiency of all enterprises in the fuel market that make part of the Holding Company.

"Trading" Division was created as part of the new IES-Holding business model. This model includes generation, trading, retail (retail sales of electricity, heat power and gas) and construction of new generating facilities.

The key functions of "Trading" Division are: load management for generating facilities that make part of the Holding Company, creation and implementation of the single strategy of IES in the Russian wholesale power and capacity market. Besides, "Trading" is in charge of fuel provision to generating companies within IES: conclusion of long-term contracts with Gazprom and independent gas suppliers, participation in mid-term and short-term exchange trades in gas, purchasing of coal and fuel oil.