Gas shortage: Gazprom storage facilities in Germany are apparently filling up somewhat

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Gas storage facility in the Czech Republic

Photo: DAVID W CERNY / REUTERS

The storage levels of the gas storage facilities in Germany and the EU are increasing, according to a report by the »Handelsblatt«.

"In Germany, the total of injections outweighs the withdrawals, so the level of storage is increasing," said Sebastian Bleschke, Managing Director of the Energy Storage Initiative (INES), the "Handelsblatt".

This also applies to the storage facilities operated by the Russian Gazprom group.

According to its own information, Gazprom began implementing a plan to increase gas deliveries to Europe on Tuesday, following a corresponding instruction from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The plan to feed gas into five European underground storage facilities has been approved by Gazprom and implementation has begun, the company announced.

Putin had instructed Gazprom at the end of October to complete the filling of the Russian gas storage facilities.

After that - around November 8th - Gazprom should "begin to gradually increase the gas volume in the underground storage facilities in Europe - Austria and Germany."

Jemgum gas storage facility is apparently "heavily filled"

Putin had said that this schedule would enable Gazprom to "fulfill its contractual obligations to supply its European partners with gas in the autumn and winter".

The Russian head of state added that the planned deliveries would create “a more favorable situation on the energy market in Europe as a whole”.

In the largest gas storage facility in Europe in Rehden, Lower Saxony, which is operated by the Gazprom subsidiary Astora, feeds have been made again since Saturday, "albeit at a low level," Bleschke told the Handelsblatt.

The Jemgum gas storage facility in Lower Saxony, also operated by Astora, is currently being "heavily filled".

According to »Handelsblatt«, data from the European gas pipeline operator organization ENTSOG also show that more gas flows over the Polish border at the Mallnow crossing point in Brandenburg.

Russian gas also reaches the Federal Republic in Mallnow.

beb / afp