Gas storage operators are warning that the German gas system is at risk of overloading, especially in southern Germany, as reserves continue to dwindle. “The low levels in Bavarian storage sites present a particular challenge to the gas network” said Sebastian Heinermann, chief executive of the Initiative Energien Speichern (INES), the association of German storage operators, speaking to “Capital”. “Even with a comparatively normal winter and no infrastructure failures, the system is running near its stress limits. That is worrisome”.
Heinermann’s comments come amid alarmingly low fill levels in Bavaria’s gas storage facilities. Currently, the tanks hold only about 20 % of their capacity-almost ten percentage points below the national average. “When storage levels are low, the rate at which gas can be injected drops” he explained. The storages have also played a vital role in transporting gas from the north to the south. “There is still plenty of gas in the system” he said, but he added that “storage plants also support the network in ensuring gas availability in southern Germany”.
In response, the Federal Ministry of Economics explained that assessments of supply security consider not only imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and available pipeline capacity but also gas storages in neighbouring countries. A ministry spokesperson pointed to the Austrian storage facilities Haidach and 7Fields, which are connected to Bavaria’s long‑distance pipeline network. “The supply security of Bavaria, Germany, and our neighbouring states is not jeopardised” she said.
