ENERGY
Austria’s gas storage tanks are filling up as gas consumption remains low. Here’s what it means for the coming winter season.
Published: 4 October 2022 10:29 CEST
Chancellor of Austria Karl Nehammer speaks to the press as he arrives to attend an European Union Summit with all 27 EU leaders at The European Council Building in Brussels on December 16, 2021. – (Photo by Kenzo Tribouillard / various sources / AFP)
On Tuesday, Austria’s Climate Ministry confirmed the country’s gas storage tanks are now 80 percent full.
The milestone was reached one month ahead of schedule and the amount is equivalent to the country’s average gas usage during a winter season.
Austria reached the target amount after more Russian gas flowed into the country than is currently being consumed, which means the storage levels will continue to increase.
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In a statement, Chancellor Karl Nehammer said: “We pulled out all the stops to fill our large storage facilities and create this security of supply.
“Today, we can say we are well prepared. Our storage facilities are 80 percent full and continue to fill up.”
Nehammer also confirmed that Austria’s dependence on Russian gas has been reduced from 80 percent to 50 percent, reports the Kronen Zeitung.
But despite the good news, Energy Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens) said the situation “remains tense”, adding that Russia is not a “reliable counterpart”.
Earlier this year, the Austrian Federal Government set the 80 percent target to ensure the gas supply for the winter months amid fears the gas supply could be disrupted.
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Even the storage facility at Haidach (the Salzburg-Upper Austrian site that borders Bavaria in Germany) is filling up after RAG, the largest gas storage operator and energy storage company in Austria, overtook management in August. Previously, Haidach was managed by Russia’s Gazprom unit and the facility had not been refilled since last winter.
This is good news for Austria as Tyrol and Vorarlberg’s gas supply comes from Bavaria, reports Der Standard.
How much gas can Austria store?
Austria can store 90 terrawatt hours (TWh) of gas when the storage tanks are full.
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However, only around half of the gas stored in Austria is for domestic consumption because gas for Slovenia and Germany is stored in Austria.
According to ORF, Austria recorded 77 TWh of gas in storage on October 2nd. Last winter, Austria’s gas consumption from October 2021 to March 2022 was around 65 TWh.