Germany's gas storage operators have called for financial relief for their business in order to raise storage levels. "Current market conditions do not set sufficient economic incentives for filling gas storage," the Initiative Energien Speichern (Ines) said on Thursday. In the short term, the conversion levy and the network charges at storage connection points could therefore be abolished.
"The price differences between injection and withdrawal are currently not enough to cover the associated costs," the industry association added. Because of high prices on the world market in the wake of the Iran war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, hardly any gas is being put into storage for the winter. German storage facilities were most recently just over 53 percent full on average.
Alongside cost reductions through the abolition of fees, Ines said "subsidised state loans" could also help to reduce the financing costs for gas to be injected. "Security of supply needs economically viable gas storage," said Ines managing director Sebastian Heinermann. "That is why we must now cut avoidable costs and create targeted incentives for additional filling."
Federal Economics Minister Katherina Reiche (CDU) is under pressure because of the low storage levels. However, she rejects state intervention. Her ministry sees no signs of a gas shortage in the winter, in particular because Germany, unlike during the 2022 gas crisis, now has its own liquefied natural gas import terminals in order to import gas on an ongoing basis. There are fears, however, that prices will rise significantly in the winter.
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