MET Česká republika, a subsidiary of Swiss-based MET Group, and the Czech energy group Centropol have concluded a contract for natural gas supplies with pricing linked to the U.S. Henry Hub index. The primary motivation stems from the effort to diversify sources, protect Centropol’s customers against high price volatility on the European market, and ensure even higher reliability of supply.
The contract will secure supply stability for tens of thousands of households and represents a significant milestone for the Czech energy market – it is one of the first contracts of this kind in the Czech Republic. At the same time, it confirms MET’s ambition to actively contribute to the stability, security, and competitiveness of natural gas supplies in the Czech Republic.
The U.S. Henry Hub index is more stable over the long term than European gas benchmarks. “It is one of the most transparent and liquid indices in the world, where the price is determined by actual supply and demand on a vast and diversified market, which over the long term is reflected in a lower degree of price fluctuations,” explained Pavel Balada, CEO of MET Česká republika.
Centropol continues the strategic diversification of its purchasing portfolio. “In combination with the European THE index, Henry Hub represents a quality price hedging instrument. We view this combination as protection against price volatility, while also creating a pathway to more stable supplies for our customers and delivering price advantages to them. Cooperation with MET Group is in line with our risk management, ensuring security of supply,” said Zdeněk Martinec, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Centropol Energy. After evaluating the supplies, Centropol will also consider whether to offer this product directly to end customers.
MET sees growing interest in similar products not only among wholesale players, but also in the retail market. “We see a clear trend towards more sophisticated purchasing strategies. Customers are looking not only for security of supply, but also for price stability, certainty, and the possibility of long-term planning. Thanks to the backing of the Swiss energy group MET – one of the fastest-growing energy groups in Europe – we are able to transfer proven models and experience to the Czech Republic. This enables us to offer products that are not yet widely available on the Czech market, including those with pricing linked to foreign indices, or long-term contracts with extended fixation periods,” added Pavel Balada.
MET Group
MET Group is an integrated European energy company, headquartered in Switzerland, with activities and assets in natural gas and power markets. MET is present in 22 countries through subsidiaries, 33 national energy markets, and 44 international trading hubs. The company's 1,400 employees represent close to 60 nationalities. MET has extensive experience operating green (renewable) and flexible (conventional) energy assets, thus providing the widest possible support to energy transition. In 2025, MET Group traded 242 BCM of natural gas and 160 TWh of electricity.