Desires in the energy crisis: The gas storage facility in Haidach is currently only on the German grid. Austria apparently wants to change that – Bavaria’s Economics Minister Aiwanger is appealing.
Updated July 25, 1:21 p.m: “We are observing the developments with great concern,” said Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder Supply from the Haidach gas storage facility. “There seems to be an agreement between Berlin and Vienna on Haidach. This states that the majority is intended for Bavaria. Hence our clear demand: the federal government must make the agreement with Austria transparent and state clearly when and how much gas will flow to Bavaria.”
Bavaria cannot act on this issue itself, it is a federal matter, said the CSU boss. Unfortunately, the federal government has been acting far too hesitantly for months. “Today we tend to have the impression that things have only changed in favor of Austria. At Haidach, however, it is about supplying all of Germany. In addition to Bavaria, it also affects Baden-Württemberg and other federal states.”
Söder warned: “If Bavaria, as the economically strongest federal state, is not sufficiently supplied, this will affect the economy as a whole. Whoever decouples the South will paralyze the whole country.”
Austria wants to tap gas storage facilities that currently supply Bavaria
First report from July 25th: Vienna – Austria’s government wants to tap into a gas storage facility connected to the German grid this year. As the Southgerman newspaper (SZ) reports, it is about the gas storage facility in Haidach near Salzburg, which has so far mainly supplied Bavaria’s households and industrial companies with gas.
“We have decided that all gas storage facilities on Austrian territory must be connected to our network,” the newspaper quoted Austria’s climate protection and energy minister, Leonore Gewessler. She expects that “a first connection” to the Austrian gas network will take place “this year”, said Gewessler SZ. The gas storage facilities in Austria are currently 50 percent full.
Gas storage in Haidach: Aiwanger reacts calmly
According to Bavaria’s Economics Minister Hubert Aiwangers, the plans are understandable. “But we’re in the same boat across Europe in terms of gas supply anyway and we have to support each other,” said the Free Voter politician to Bayerischer Rundfunk when asked.
In the search for alternatives to Russian gas, Austria’s Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) is counting on Israel as a future export country. Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) is also calling for a rescue package for municipal utilities in view of the planned billion-euro rescue package for the energy company Uniper.
Gas crisis in Europe: Putin threatens Nord Stream 1
Austria is highly dependent on Russian energy imports and is therefore, like Germany, under a lot of pressure. Russian energy giant Gazprom has significantly reduced supplies through Nord Stream 1 since June. Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin recently threatened that deliveries could fall further – to 20 percent of the daily maximum.
In view of the curtailed Russian gas supplies, Austria had already decided in June to reactivate a coal-fired power plant that had been shut down. Imports via terminals for landing liquid gas on the German coast are also being considered. (frs with AFP footage)
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