Due to low storage levels and price developments, the government is calling for binding gas purchases.
AI-generated summary
At the beginning of September, the gas storage facilities were only around 53 percent full, which was the lowest level in 15 years.
Federal Minister of Economics Katherina Reiche (CDU) has ordered the state energy company Sefe to store more natural gas. Sefe announced that the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy had given instructions to procure and store eight terawatt hours of gas by December 15th. According to the Handelsblatt, the step was taken in coordination with Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
As early as mid-September, Reiche had asked the gas importer to purchase gas to fill the storage facilities, but this was not a formal instruction. Storage is currently hardly worthwhile for traders due to price developments as a result of the Iran war.
Gas shortage possible as early as January
The gas storage association INES warned of bottlenecks in the event of a very cold winter. The storage facilities were only around 53 percent full at the beginning of September. This is the lowest level at this point since records began 15 years ago. Extremely low temperatures could lead to a gas shortage in January.
According to the head of the Federal Network Agency, Klaus Müller, a filling level of 80 percent in German gas storage facilities will no longer be achievable by November 1st. However, the storage facilities are not only important for the gas supply in winter, said Müller. »We have created our own capacity with four liquid gas terminals. We can get gas from Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands and France.«
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Procurement and storage of eight terawatt hours of gas by Sefe by December 15.
Very likely · Within months
Federal Minister of Economics Katherina Reiche has ordered the energy company Sefe to store eight terawatt hours of gas by December 15th. The storage levels are currently almost 58 percent.
Federal Minister of Economics Katherina Reiche has ordered Sefe to store eight terawatt hours of gas by December 15th. In view of historically low storage levels and the Iran war, the INES association warns of a gas shortage in January.

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