Markus Krebber, chief executive of RWE, has argued that the company should start a strategic gas reserve over the next two years and questioned the existing rules on minimum reserve levels.
He told a news outlet that the mandatory fill‑level requirements are counter‑productive for the market and ultimately make gas supply more expensive.
Krebber said a suitable solution would be a strategic reserve that is not integrated into market trading and could only be tapped in emergencies, akin to a national oil reserve.
However, he cautioned that such a reserve must be planned with sufficient lead time to avoid additional market disruptions.
“The idea is to bring the strategic gas reserve into operation over a two‑year period so that market prices are not pushed up in the coming summer and consumer costs stay low” he explained.
Regarding expenses, Krebber believes the cost of a properly managed reserve would be very manageable.
One way to keep it cheap, he suggested, would be to auction the requirement for holding the reserve under minimum conditions, allowing the cheapest provider to run it.
Mixed
