Gas storage 55% full: gas reserve will continue until 2029

The Gas Reserve includes 20 terawatt hours (TWh) and will continue until April 1, 2029. A total of 240 million euros is planned for the measure in the 2027/2028 double budget.

Yesterday, Sunday, Economics Minister Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer (ÖVP) once again appealed to the opposition parties in a broadcast to agree to the extension. The reserve provides a cushion to ensure security of supply in the country in the short term, even in the event of disruptions in the global energy markets. The amount of 20 terawatt hours (TWh) would cover the consumption of up to two winter months in an emergency.

Gas storage is currently 55 percent full

The gas storage facilities in this country are currently around 55 percent full, according to the AGSI database from Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE), which corresponds to around 55.17 terawatt hours (TWh). Annual consumption in Austria is around 75 TWh. Across the EU, the storage level is around 50 percent, with 565.62 TWh of gas currently stored.

In addition to the strategic gas reserve, a little more than 20 TWh was stored in Austria by foreign storage customers at the end of June; for the majority of this, it is not specified in advance where the stored gas will be sold. Another part of the stored gas volumes is reserved for companies, and part for protected customers, such as social services or hospitals in Austria. According to E-Control, around 9 TWh of the amount stored at the end of June was most likely intended for the Austrian market, but can also be sold to non-Austrian customers.