Russian energy company Gazprom delivered about half less gas to Austria than usual on Sunday – for the fourth day in a row. That’s why the federal government’s crisis cabinet met Sunday night. After nearly two hours of consultation between Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP), Economy Minister Martin Kocher and Energy Minister Leonore Gewessler of the Greens, the result: To reduce dependence on gas, the Mellach coal-fired power plant near Graz, which was shut down in the spring of 2020, is due to be reactivated for electricity production to be generated from coal. The government agreed to this with the energy company Verbund.
However, it will likely be months before technical and personnel requirements are in place and coal is procured:
Here we summarize the most important key points:
What is the current status of Russia’s gas supply?
Austria?
Only about half of the planned amount of gas flows into Austria from Russia – and it has been for a few days. “Russia’s current restrictions on gas supplies are at the same level as the day before,” said oil and gas group OMV. Russian energy company Gazprom is currently no longer delivering. There, the throttled delivery quantities are justified with a maintenance issue.
Does the decision to restart the coal plant at Mellach mean a return to coal?
While this return in terms of energy sources is likely to hurt Greens Minister Gewessler in particular, coal should only be used in emergencies. However, the government has not yet released details.
Will we soon have to limit our energy consumption?
So far, the government has not made any corresponding recommendations. Although experts and political observers have been demanding this for weeks. After the crisis meeting, there is still confidence. “We can store consumption throughout the year in our storage facilities,” assured Nehammer in a written statement. “So far, storage is going according to plan.” Gewessler stressed the importance of “becoming more independent from Russian gas step by step”.
What do the currently reduced delivery quantities mean?
According to OMV, relatively little at the moment. Missing quantities are replaced by constant purchases on the spot market, which is possible due to the currently very low demand for gas. It is guaranteed that both supply and storage can be guaranteed.
How much gas do we currently store?
According to the group, OMV’s gas storage facilities, with a total capacity of 25,289 GWh, are 64% full. Converted for the whole of Austria, the figure – according to data from the storage companies interest group AGSI and the Ministry of Energy – is just under 41%. This corresponds to a capacity of 39 terawatt hours.
How long will our stock last?
Information about memory levels in various countries should always be viewed in relation to memory consumption and size. As Austria has very high storage capacities compared to its current gas consumption, the gas currently stored corresponds to more than 40% of the annual need. Storage levels of around 80 percent are said to be moving towards the upcoming winter. In an EU comparison, Austria ranks second when it comes to storage – measured in terms of consumption. Only Latvia has more in store.
How is the situation in our neighboring country, Germany?
The government there has long made a commitment to the population and industry to voluntarily save energy. And Economy Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) has already announced that he wants to re-operate the electricity market with coal. There, too, the power plants must be put back into operation.