Gas storage operators consider gas shortages in Germany increasingly unlikely
Gas storage operators believe that a gas shortage in Germany in winter is becoming increasingly unlikely. This is the result of various scenarios presented by the Initiative Energien Speichern (INES) on Thursday. Although gas shortages cannot be completely ruled out, they are considered less likely to occur. The comparatively mild temperatures in November also contributed to this.
A year ago, there was still great concern in Germany that there could be shortages following the Russian supply freeze. In the event of a gas shortage, energy-intensive industry, for example, would have had to expect shutdowns. This was avoided thanks to increased gas supplies from the Netherlands, Belgium and Norway as well as the rapid construction of floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals.
According to the operators, the gas storage facilities were 96% full at the beginning of December, which is an above-average level. "In our analyses, gas shortages only occur in extremely cold temperatures, the likes of which we haven't seen in Germany for several years," said INES Managing Director Sebastian Heinermann. "Despite the recent cold temperatures and the resulting sharp rise in gas consumption, we are likely to get through this winter well."
INES is an association of operators of German gas and hydrogen storage facilities. The 15 members include the energy companies RWE
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Despite the uncertainty that often arises during Winter, gas storage operators in Germany now find a gas deficiency situation becoming increasingly unlikely. Despite the occasional cold spikes, the operators attribute this optimism to the high storage levels, averting the possibility of gas shortages that could potentially impact energy-intensive industries.
Source: www.ntv.de
