Gas reserves in Germany decreased compared to November | News from Germany about Germany | Dw

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Despite the promise of “Gazprom” to increase gas supplies, its reserves in the gas storage facility owned by the Russian state concern in Germany as of Friday, December 10, are even less than at the beginning of November. The storage facility of Gazprom subsidiary Astora is only about 18 percent full, Der Spiegel reports.

Earlier, on November 9, when Gazprom announced the start of gas injection into five European gas storage facilities, the reserves of blue fuel in German UGS facilities still reached 22%. In response to a request made by journalists, Astora stated that the company, being the operator of gas storage facilities, “according to the law, cannot influence customer behavior and fill levels” (gas storage facilities. – Ed.).

EU suspects Gazprom of manipulation

European experts, media and politicians have more than once expressed their suspicion that Gazprom deliberately contributed to the emergence of a shortage in the European gas market in order to force Germany and the European Union to quickly issue a permit for the operation of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. Moscow denies these accusations, reproaching the EU for failing to fill its underground storage facilities on time after the last cold winter.

Gas prices are breaking records

Meanwhile, according to the German price comparison portal Check24, wholesale gas prices in Germany have risen to a record level – 1 megawatt-hour of natural gas is sold for 81 euros, while a year earlier its price remained at the level of 14 euros. Consequently, gas prices for consumers have also skyrocketed to record heights.

Gazprom does not consider itself responsible for the lack of gas

Gazprom assures that it is fulfilling its supply obligations in full, using various gas transportation routes, including Nord Stream 1 and Ukrainian gas pipelines. The lack of fuel is explained by a number of different reasons, including too high rent for gas transit in Ukraine.

At a meeting with Vladimir Putin on October 27, Gazprom head Alexei Miller said that the company plans to reach the target volumes of gas pumped into underground storage facilities in Russia – 72.6 billion cubic meters – by November 1. Miller promised to start pumping gas into European underground storage facilities immediately after completion of pumping into Russian UGS facilities. This procedure was supposed to be completed by November 8.

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