Markus Krebber, chief executive of RWE, has called for the creation of a strategic gas reserve to be rolled out over a two‑year period, and has raised doubts about the current inventory‑level targets.
He told the news portal Politico that the present “fill‑level” specifications are counter‑productive for the market and ultimately make gas supply more expensive. “A suitable tool would be a strategic gas reserve that is not integrated into the market and can only be tapped in case of emergency-just like the national oil reserve” he added.
Krebber stressed that such a reserve must be planned well in advance to avoid further market distortions. “I would introduce the strategic gas reserve over two years so that market prices are not burdened this coming summer and consumer costs stay low” he said.
He believes the costs of setting up the reserve would be “very manageable” if it is done correctly. One way to keep expenses down, he proposed, would be to auction the requirement for holding the reserve with minimum thresholds and let the most economical supplier manage it.