Despite a delivery stop from Russia: German gas storage tanks are 90 percent full
Created: 09/20/2022, 17:10
By: Anika Zuschke
Germany is defying the gas delivery stop from Russia - because the gas storage facilities are already 90 percent full.
(Iconic image) © Mohssen Assanimoghaddam/dpa
Russia has stopped gas supplies via Nord Stream 1 again.
Nevertheless, there is good news: German gas storage facilities are already 90 percent full.
Frankfurt – The Russian attack on Ukraine also has enormous consequences for Germany.
Vladimir Putin plunged the Federal Republic into a serious gas crisis that made its dependence on Russian natural gas uncomfortably clear.
But contrary to initial concerns that Germany would not get warm through the winter, there is now good news again: Despite the Russian gas supply freeze, German storage facilities are already 90 percent full.
Good news in the gas crisis: German gas storage tanks are 90 percent full
As can be seen from data from European storage operators, German gas storage facilities were already 90.07 percent full on Sunday, September 18, 2022.
The information is always reported with a slight delay.
According to Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck, Germany has the chance to "get through the winter well" with the storage - but Habeck's emphasis is on the word "chance", as the
Süddeutsche Zeitung
reports.
Because for this, German citizens would have to continue to save gas diligently in winter and you need “a bit of luck with the weather”.
But at least Habeck allows himself to be carried away by such a statement – according to his own statements, he would not have dared to do that a few months ago.
Numerous internet trends are currently showing that the Germans are trying to meet Habeck's requirements: Among other things, the invention of the tea light oven, which is supposed to replace a heater as a supposed heat alternative.
Whether such “inventions” actually focus on saving gas or rather saving money cannot be said.
New goal in Germany: Fill gas storage tanks to 95 percent by November 1st
Apparently, the Germans don't have to worry about a cold apartment due to a lack of gas.
Because the accumulated gas from the storage tanks should be made available in winter.
"But that also means that the storage tanks will be empty again at the end of the winter, in this case really empty because we will be using the gas," Habeck said, according to the
Tagesschau
.
Then you have to save again quickly.
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For the time being, however, the next goal of the federal government is to have the gas storage tanks 95 percent full by November 1st.
Because these serve as a buffer for the gas market and are intended to compensate for fluctuations in consumption.
On particularly cold winter days, up to 60 percent of gas consumption is covered by the same gas storage facility.
The interim targets of 75 and 85 percent were achieved earlier than planned in mid-August and early September.
Russia stops gas supplies through Nord Stream 1 – Germany accuses Putin of an energy war
Just like the two interim goals, reaching the 90 percent mark came as a surprise to some.
Because since August 31, gas has once again stopped flowing through the Baltic Sea pipeline Nord Stream 1 - which was once considered the most important connection from Russia to Germany.
The Russian side justified this with technical problems that allegedly cannot be solved due to the sanctions.
However, the government considers this to be a pretense and accuses Putin of waging an energy war against Europe.
But apparently there was some movement in the Baltic Sea pipeline again.
As the
Reuters
news agency reports, a few days ago, for the first time in three weeks, German customers made so-called nominations for deliveries of Russian gas through Nord Stream 1.
Reuters
relies
on German pipeline data.
Nominations are initially only requests for gas supplies, not actual gas flows - but something is happening.
Measures against a gas shortage in winter - even without Russian gas
In order to get through the winter warm without Russian gas, the government is sticking to other measures.
Germany is currently getting natural gas via pipelines from Norway, the Netherlands and Belgium, and the first two liquid gas terminals on the North Sea coast are scheduled to go into operation at the turn of the year.
In this way, the government wants to guarantee the highest possible filling levels in the gas storage tanks at the beginning of the heating season.
(Anika Zuschke)