1,500 meters underground in southern Bavaria lies one of the keys to keeping Germans warm through the winter. Bierwang is the name of the former natural gas field used to store the energy source. In the 1970s, the underground cavity was made into a huge storage facility that can hold enough gas to keep the city of Munich running for eight months.
In Germany, gas is an important energy source. The gas is mainly used to heat homes and keep large factories running. That is why there are many storage facilities both underground and above ground. In a normal year, they are emptied during the winter and filled up again in the summer months.
But the standard procedure is not quite so simple this year. The Germans used to get the majority of their gas from Russia. That has changed since Russia's attack on Ukraine, which has made buying from the east less popular. And vice versa, President Vladimir Putin and his regime are threatening to turn off the tap.
- Security of supply this winter depends on two factors: how full the storage facilities are and how much new gas arrives from abroad. Russian supplies will play a crucial role, Sebastian Herold, energy professor at the Hochschule Darmstadt University, told the AFP news agency.
Supply reduced by 60 percent.
The German government has decided that Bierwang and the many other gas storage facilities in the country must be at least 90 percent full by November 1. But this week Russia cast doubt on whether that goal can be achieved.
Germany became the latest country to have its gas from Russia cut. Around 60 percent of the daily Russian gas supply to the Germans via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline disappeared in the course of two days. Therefore, the supply through the gas pipeline that runs through the Baltic Sea is being reduced from 167 million cubic meters of gas daily to 67 million cubic meters, it is said.
The Czech Republic and Italy are also reporting a drop in supplies. Those countries will now have to buy gas from other sources on the pressured European market.
It is a frightening warning, says Klaus Müller, head of Germany's energy regulator, the Bundesnetzagentur, according to Reuters to the Rheinische Post newspaper.
- It would significantly worsen our situation (if supplies stop, ed.). We may be able to get through the summer, as the heating season is over. But it is imperative that we fill the storages so that we can get through the winter, Klaus Müller tells the newspaper.
False explanation
According to the state-owned Russian gas company Gazprom, which is responsible for sending the gas to Europe, the slowdown is due to maintenance at a compressor station in Russia. The company is reportedly unable to get equipment back from repairs in Canada due to sanctions.
But that is not the real reason for the gas shortage, according to Robert Habeck, Germany's economy minister. The maintenance of Nord Stream 1 was scheduled to take place in the fall and would not disrupt supplies that much, he says.
- It is a political decision and not a technically justified decision. It is clearly a strategy to spread unrest and push up prices, Robert Habeck said at a press conference according to AFP.
Save energy
Gas prices in Europe have also risen by a good 40 percent in two days. So Robert Habeck is once again asking Germans to save energy where they can.
- Every kilowatt-hour helps in this situation, he says in a video according to the dpa news agency.
Germany's energy supply is not yet in danger, the minister promises. But the situation is serious.
- We must be vigilant. We must continue to work focused. Above all, we must not allow ourselves to be divided. Because that is what Putin wants, says Robert Habeck.
The Bierwang storage facility in Bavaria is currently 53 percent full. Overall, German gas storage facilities are at 56 percent of capacity, according to the daily status of the Bundesnetzagentur.
Ritzau
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