Russian energy company Gazprom delivered about half as much gas to Austria on Sunday as usual. However, demand is currently low. Missing quantities can be replaced by acquisitions, OMV says. The filling level in the Austrian gas storage facilities currently corresponds to about 40 percent of the annual requirement.
Some of these storage facilities are owned by OMV, which sets their level at 64 percent. On Saturday, that was just 40.67 percent, with a total capacity of 25,289 gigawatt hours. “OMV is currently making purchases on the spot market to secure supplies for customers and storage – supplies are guaranteed,” the company said in a statement. It looks different across Europe. In the EU, the fill level is on average just over half of what would be possible.
According to APA and dpa, the percentage of storage space that is filled says little about how long the inventory will last. The decisive factor is the size, measured according to consumption. Austria is doing well here, because the gas that has been stored so far corresponds to more than 40 percent of the annual requirement. Austria wants to have gas storage facilities that are 80 percent full in winter.
Gas Storage Act in Germany
In Germany, the storage tanks are about 56 percent full. However, only about a quarter of the annual gas consumption can be stored. “This storage volume alone can supply Germany with gas for two to three average cold winter months,” the government said. There must be a new gas storage law, which prescribes a filling level of 80 percent by October 1, 90 percent by November 1, and 40 percent by February 1. These goals must be achieved step by step. It should be noted that gas consumption has decreased significantly due to the sharp price increases. If the Russian supply were to stop, pipeline gas would have to continue flowing, including from Norway and the Netherlands.
Renewable energy expansion needed
In Austria, it is emphasized that the expansion of renewable energy sources is necessary to phase out Russian gas. “Every wind turbine we put up, every photovoltaic system we install, brings us back a little bit of independence,” Climate Protection Secretary Leonore Gewessler (Greens) said. In 2021, the public sector invested 224.1 million euros in energy research. That is about 44.4 percent more than in the previous year. About 20 million euros of this went to sustainable energy, while expenditure on research into nuclear energy (1.6 million euros) and fossil energy (0.8 million euros) was relatively small.
Source: Krone
I’m an experienced news author and editor based in New York City. I specialize in covering healthcare news stories for Today Times Live, helping to keep readers informed on the latest developments related to the industry. I have a deep understanding of medical topics, including emerging treatments and drugs, the changing laws that regulate healthcare providers, and other matters that affect public health.