Status: 08/14/2022 11:47 a.m
According to the operator, the German gas storage facilities have reached a filling level of 75 percent two weeks earlier than planned. Although this is a first interim goal, according to experts, it could still be tight in winter.
Despite the supply volumes from Russia, which have been significantly reduced for weeks, the German gas storage facilities are more than 75 percent full again. According to the latest preliminary data from European gas storage operators on Saturday evening, the fill level was 75.43 percent. The first storage target of a new regulation was thus achieved more than two weeks earlier than required.
“We reached the first interim goal ahead of time. That’s gratifying,” said the President of the Federal Network Agency, Klaus Müller. “Now it’s important not to slow down when filling the storage tanks. The gas that is now flowing into the storage tanks can help us in winter.” The next goals are ambitious.
The ordinance stipulates that the German storage facilities must be at least 75 percent full by September 1st. On October 1st it should be at least 85 percent and on November 1st at least 95 percent. The storage facilities compensate for fluctuations in gas consumption and thus form a kind of buffer system for the gas market.
Gas could still be scarce
The managing director of the Ines storage association, Sebastian Bleschke, spoke of a “good perspective”, but emphasized that 75 percent was only an interim goal. “In essence, it’s about achieving 95 percent on November 1,” he told the dpa news agency. With normal temperatures in October, the beginning of the heating season will have a strong impact on storage options. Due to the greatly reduced gas imports, it is therefore possible that this fill level target will be missed.
With normal temperatures and the reduced gas deliveries via Nord Stream 1, the stored gas could be used up as early as March or April, Bleschke warned. “Should Russia stop gas supplies altogether, sooner.” However, according to the association, shortfalls can also occur before March. “Because it can happen that on particularly cold days, the gas withdrawal from the network is so high that the simultaneous gas feeds are not sufficient to cover demand.” In these cases, according to Bleschke, demand would have to be reduced even though there is still gas in storage.
Gas consumption decreased
According to the Ines storage association, the currently high levels of storage are made possible primarily by low summer consumption and strong imports from north-west Europe. According to the Federal Network Agency, gas consumption in Germany up to and including July was almost 14 percent below that of the same period last year. According to the Federal Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW), the main reasons for this are the mild weather and the high level of gas prices.
Prepare for failure of Russian supplies
The federal government wants to use various measures to ensure that the gas storage facilities in Germany are almost full at the beginning of the heating period. Germany should thus be better armed against a total failure of Russian deliveries in winter. The amount of gas stored at a level of 95 percent roughly corresponds to nationwide consumption in January and February 2022. Overall, the German storage facilities can hold around a quarter of the natural gas required each year.
Russia is still pumping natural gas to Germany. For more than two weeks, however, the important Baltic Sea pipeline Nord Stream 1 has only been utilized at around 20 percent. The Russian gas company blames technical reasons for this, the federal government considers this to be a pretense.