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Gas storage in Rehden
Photo: FABIAN BIMMER / REUTERS
The Ministry of Economic Affairs does not anticipate any relevant additional costs for consumers due to a gas storage levy.
A spokesman made that clear on Wednesday.
The sales price is currently higher than the purchase price, so the ministry does not assume that this levy will reach a "relevant size".
The Ministry of Economics also said that the price structure plays an important role in the collection of the levy.
Therefore, there will not automatically be price increases for the energy suppliers and indirectly for the end customers.
Memory 72 percent full
The storage levy under the Energy Industry Act - not to be confused with the gas levy - is intended to reimburse the company Trading Hub Europe (THE), which is responsible for the German gas market organization, for the costs it incurs to ensure security of supply, for example for the purchase of gas Gas.
The most important goal of THE at the moment is to comply with the fill level specifications for the gas storage facilities.
They should be at least 95 percent full by November 1st.
The amount of the levy is still unknown.
According to THE, the surcharge will be determined for the first time on October 1, 2022.
The low costs for consumers are currently not the only good news from storage events: German gas storage facilities are now more than 72 percent full, said the President of the Federal Network Agency, Klaus Müller, on Wednesday at the Hessian gas summit: "That's better than the last ones weeks and months.«
Müller was very confident that he would reach the goal of filling the gas storage tanks 75 percent by September 1st.
"We're on the right track there."
That's what the gas levy is about
However, from the point of view of the Federal Network Agency, the situation is still tense, since only about 20 percent of the contractually guaranteed gas volume is supplied from Russia, said Müller.
In order to avoid a gas shortage, significantly more gas would have to be saved and new gas sources would have to be developed.
The gas levy, which is used to procure gas, must be distinguished from the storage levy.
It should take effect from the beginning of October and benefit gas suppliers like Uniper, who have to buy replacement gas volumes from Russia at high prices for the missing, cheaper gas volumes.
So far, however, you have not been able to pass these additional costs on to customers - this is to be done via the apportionment.
Uniper was in financial turmoil, the federal government had decided on a billion-euro rescue package.
The amount of the levy will be announced on Monday.
mamk/dpa-AFX
