The German gas storage tanks emptied quickly this weekend due to the low temperatures.
But that's still not a cause for concern.
Bonn – The German gas storage tanks are emptying more and more.
The onset of winter at the weekend made the situation even worse.
On the Federal Network Agency's website, the temperature forecast situation is rated as "tense".
This has even led to gas storage volumes reaching a new low since the start of the heating season.
Gas storage: Levels have fallen sharply
On Saturday, the filling level of German gas storage facilities fell to 86.5 percent.
This is reported by
Business Insider
, citing data from the gas storage association GIE.
This save was last reached on September 5, 2022.
The sinking temperatures are causing the gas storage levels to shrink further and further.
But a lack of imports also means that Germany has to tap into its valuable reserves.
As our chart shows, consumption has repeatedly exceeded gas imports in recent weeks.
Gas shortage: Federal government gives the all-clear
However, there is no reason to panic.
Germany is rapidly pushing ahead with the expansion of LNG terminals.
A total of seven liquid gas stations are planned – two are already in operation.
This is intended to secure the gas supply even without the pipeline gas from Russia.
The federal government also considers the risk of a gap in the gas supply this winter to be low.
This emerges from the answer to a question from the Left Group, as the Bundestag announced on Thursday (January 19).
Despite the cessation of gas imports from Russia - in 2021 it was 55 billion cubic meters of natural gas - there will probably be "no gas supply gap".
The storage could have been filled through savings and imports from other countries such as Norway and the Netherlands, it said.
Even if the rest of the winter of 2022/2023 is “above average cold”, there is no reason to fear a supply gap.
Nevertheless, there is still "considerable savings potential in gas consumption" - a reduction of 20 percent is "possible and worth striving for".
Are LNG terminals even necessary?
Federal Network Agency boss reports doubts
On Friday (January 20), the head of the Federal Network Agency, Klaus Müller, even noted that not all of the planned LNG terminals may even be absolutely necessary.
It is right to prepare for an extremely cold winter and to "plan for redundancies," said Müller to the digital media
company Table.Media.
"But I do think that when we look back at the first winters without Russian pipeline gas, we'll take a closer look at the statistics."
Müller stated that precautions must also be taken in the event that "a terminal or another pipeline fails".
The needs of neighboring countries must also be taken into account.
Nevertheless, it remains to be seen "whether all the terminals currently under discussion will ultimately be realized or fully utilized".
(pH/AFP)
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