Wingas Plans Interruptible Gas Storage Pipe

German storage operator Astora is planning to build another connection linking its Haidach storage facility in Austria to the German grid and its use will be linked to summer and winter temperatures, it said May 30.

The additional transmission capacity for injecting and withdrawing gas in the Haidach facility will be available from the beginning of 2020 and cost €7mn, it said.

“Since the capacities of the transport network that is already connected are at full capacity utilisation, the additional connection line is an important investment in a needs-based natural gas supply in South Germany,” said Astora CEO Andreas Renner.

In summer it will be fully operational for injections on the hottest days, and in winter it will be fully operational on the coldest days. But as it is, the storage facility north of Salzburg can only inject and withdraw limited volumes of natural gas, owing to transport interruptions in the south German pipeline network. 

Storage customers in Haidach will be able to use all the capacity to withdraw gas when temperatures  fall to zero degrees Celsius or colder. At a temperature range of between 0 and 8+ deg C, 57% of the requested capacity will be offered firm. In summer, at temperatures above 16 deg C, storage customers will be guaranteed 100% of transport capacities for injection. Between 10 and 16 deg C, a fixed 22% of the requested transport capacities can be used. Despite these limitations, “the performance of the Haidach storage facility can be significantly improved with the new, second connection line,” Renner said.

Astora since September 2015 has been 100% owned by Gazprom.

William Powell