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Bartenstein: Austria has highest gas storage capacity in the EU

Austria has gas storage capacity equivalent to one third of annual consumption - Bartenstein welcomes EU discussion on gas storage

Vienna (Min. Econ. Lab./OTS) - Austria is the EU country with the biggest gas storage capacity, currently around 2.8 billion cubic metres or one third of its annual consumption of natural gas. In terms of annual consumption, this is equivalent to twice the EU average. Some countries have no storage capacity at all.

In this context, Economics Minister Martin Bartenstein has welcomed Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs’ proposal that each country should have stocks to bridge at least two months’ consumption. Bartenstein: “Austria built up its stocks in good time. The whole EU must now take action to protect itself better against interruptions to, and fluctuations in, gas supplies.”

Austria’s total gas sales amount to around 8.5 billion cbm annually. Current stocks stand at around 2.2 billion cbm compared with total storage capacity of 2.8 billion cbm, which is equivalent to more than the national gas consumption in two winter months. When domestic production and imports from Germany and Norway are taken into account, the supply can be guaranteed for at least three winter months. The construction of a new underground gas store in Salzburg with 2.4 billion cbm capacity is also planned.

“Storage of natural gas is an important, flexible instrument for balancing fluctuations in supplies against demand, for instances if supplies are interrupted or to cover much higher demand in winter”, Bartenstein said. Austria was in a favourable position compared with some other EU countries, as it had numerous geological repositories for gas storage. These countries therefore had to develop alternative gas storage arrangements, e.g. at power stations or industrial plants. It had to be ensured that mandatory gas storage did not lead to higher costs and less flexibility in gas supply, however. Bartenstein: “Account must be taken of specific national conditions”.

Storage capacities for natural gas in the EU countries (data where available, source: E-Control):