Facing diminishing storage levels, the gas‑storage sector warns that Germany’s gas system-particularly in southern Germany-could become overloaded.
Sebastian Heinermann, managing director of the Initiative Energien Speichern (INES) and spokesman for the German storage operators, told the business magazine “Capital”: “The low fill levels in Bavarian gas storages pose a special challenge for the gas system. Despite a relatively normal winter and no infrastructure failures, the system is operating at the edge of its load limits, which is worrisome”.
The root of his concerns is the very low inventory in Bavaria’s underground gas storages. Today they hold only about 20 % of their capacity, roughly ten percentage points below the national average. As storage levels fall, the rate at which gas can be injected into the system slows, Heinermann explained.
These storages also play a pivotal role in transporting gas from northern to southern regions. “There is still enough gas circulating in the system” he said, “but the storage facilities also help the network maintain gas availability in southern Germany”.
In response to a query from “Capital”, the Federal Ministry of Economics noted that assessing supply security depends not only on imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and free pipeline capacity but also on storage sites in neighboring countries. The ministry highlighted Austrian facilities at Haidach and 7 Fields, which are connected to the Bavarian transmission network. “The supply security of Bavaria, Germany, and our neighboring states is not endangered” the ministry spokesperson said.