COLUMBUS : a global gas market model

A model of the global gas market is presented which in its basic version optimises the future development of production, transport and storage capacities as well as the actual gas ows around the world assuming perfect competition. Besides the transport of natural gas via pipelines also the global market for lique ed natural gas (LNG) is modeled using a hub-and-spoke approach. While in the basic version of the model an inelastic demand and a piecewise-linear supply function are used, both can be changed easily, e.g. to a Golombek style production function or a constant elasticity of substitution (CES) demand function. Due to the usage of mixed complementary programming (MCP) the model additionally allows for the simulation of strategic behaviour of different players in the gas market, e.g. the gas producers. -- Natural gas market ; partial equilibrium modelling ; MCP