The German government has passed a decree to reduce the national start-of-November target to 70pc from the existing 90pc, the economy and climate ministry BMWK said today.
The Gas Storage Level decree was submitted to the federal cabinet as a ministerial decree and does not need parliamentary approval. It will come into force "upon promulgation".
The decree sets out a 70pc gas storage fill level for the country as a whole, but imposes an 80pc fill level requirement for cavern storage and a 45pc target for porous storage sites, with the exception of four facilities in southern Germany which will abide to the 80pc obligation in order to maintain "supply security in Austria and Switzerland".
BMWK presented the decree alongside the ongoing EU legislative process to allow more flexibility in bloc-wide storage regulation. It was developed in "close consultation with the EU institutions", BMWK said. But the EU's final legal text still needs to be agreed between the parliament and member states.
Mixed response from industry associations
Most German gas associations welcomed the reduction of fill level requirements.
German gas grid operators association FNB backed the introduction of the decree as it supports security of supply while "gradually transferring responsibility back to the market". The timeframe and regional differentiation will enable preparation for the coming winter, FNB said.
Energy association BDEW welcomed the bill, but said that it is also essential that the relevant EU framework be "established in a timely manner". The association also said it would be sensible to consider the flexibility proposed at the EU level, in which countries can meet the start-of-winter target at any date between 1 October and 1 December.
Energy Traders Germany welcomed the reduction, it told Argus. But it added that the new changes should not reduce the discussion about which instruments can reliably ensure security of supply in the EU and German gas markets. And "constant changes to requirements that lead to market distortions must be avoided", it said.
