Germany acts ahead of EU reform, cuts gas storage target to 80%

Germany isn’t waiting for the EU to update its gas storage targets for next winter, with the energy ministry in Berlin on Wednesday cutting the country’s target from 90% to 80%.

“These requirements also apply to the four southern German pore storage facilities, which are also important for security of supply in Austria and Switzerland,” the ministry said in a statement. Less crucial pore storage facilities will have to be filled to only 45%, the ministry said.

EU law mandates that the bloc’s underground gas storage facilities are filled to 90% of capacity by the first of November to make sure enough is in reserve to last the winter. However, this also risks artificially inflating gas prices in summer due to the need to respect both intermediate and longer goals.

EU institutions are quickly editing current rules to add flexibility and avoid gas prices rises, especially in a year when Europe started the re-filling season with low stocks in its gas storage depots.

So far, EU governments proposed to stick to the 90% goal, but with 10 points of leeway and other flexibilities. The European Parliament is set to propose an 83% filling target, also matched with flexibilities.

Final talks are expected to start once the Parliament adopts its negotiating position in May. But with Wednesday’s move, Germany is acting before the new joint rules are decided.

The ministry told Euractiv that it acted after close dialogue with EU institutions and that the new rules would apply this year.

*Nikolaus J. Kurmayer and Jasper Steinlein contributed reporting

(epd)