25.03.2020
Gas in storage stayed almost untouched during the past months due to mild temperatures. Preparing for the next heating season is therefore feasible without any problems.
In times of crisis the public closely observes all areas of supply that are important for daily needs – so called critical infrastructures. The current Covid-19 pandemic leads to enormous constraints in public life and poses such a crisis. Healthcare provisions and food supply are watched very closely at this time, and so is the energy supply. In times of insecurity concerned citizens address their questions towards companies that operate critical infrastructures, and thus they also address gas suppliers.
We take all those questions seriously. And we take them as an opportunity to point out that gas storage facilities prepare every possible supply situation in accordance with the competent authorities – not only in times of crisis but also during standard operations. For several years among others there has been UP KRITIS, a public-private partnership between operators of critical infrastructures, their associations and the competent government agencies. Representing the gas storage operators INES attends the working group Gas at UP KRITIS. Recommendations of the Federal Office for Citizen Protection and Disaster Support (BBK) and the Robert-Koch-Institute (RKI) have influenced operational plans on pandemics even before the outbreak of Corona (SARS-CoV-2).
Next to operational preparations one can also be confident about the current level of gas storage in Germany. At the end of the winter Germany’s gas storage facilities are still filled way above 70 per cent. “Mild Temperatures during the heating seasons have led to a situation where utilization of gas storage was rarely necessary. Supply in spring and summer times therefore starts off with a comfortable amount of gas in storage”, Sebastian Bleschke, Management Director at INES comments. Looking at this situation, preparing for the upcoming winter will not pose an issue.