Germany has reached its first gas storage target.
Image: dpa
Before the heating season begins, the federal government tries to fill the gas storage tanks – the first target of 75 percent has been reached. Germany is preparing for a possible failure of Russian gas supplies.
TDespite the supply volumes from Russia, which have been significantly reduced for weeks, the German gas storage facilities are again more than 75 percent full. According to the latest preliminary data from European gas storage operators on Saturday evening, the level on Friday morning was 75.43 percent. The first storage target of a new regulation was thus achieved more than two weeks earlier than required. The fill level is always reported with a delay.
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. If data continues to be saved at the same pace as last time, the 85 percent mark should be reached before October 1st.
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 corresponds approximately to the nationwide consumption in January and February 2022.
The filling level on Friday morning was about 0.58 percentage points above the previous day’s value. 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.
