Ultimately, this enables the domestic energy regulator E-Control to allocate the storage capacities unused by Gazprom to another company.
However, the memory will not be withdrawn immediately, but only in a second step. First of all, the law obliges “the storage user” – in the specific case Gazprom Export – to “immediately offer the booked capacity that he or she has not systematically used in full or in part” to others or to return it to the storage company – in the case of the Gazprom subsidiary GSA.
If the storage user Gazprom Export does not comply with this obligation, the storage company GSA must “withhold the storage user’s booked but systematically unused storage capacities immediately after immediate written notification”, as stated in the relevant constitutional provision in paragraph 104 paragraph 4. Booked storage capacities that are used by less than 10 percent as of July 1 are considered systematically unused.
And what happens if the E-Control GSA takes away the memory?
If the storage company, i.e. the Gazprom subsidiary GSA, does not withdraw the unused storage capacities from Gazprom Export, GSA itself loses its rights as a storage company, which E-Control has to determine by means of a notice. Incidentally, complaints do not have a suspensive effect.
And what happens if the E-Control GSA takes away the memory? “In the event that it is determined that the rights of a storage company have been lost, the operator of the storage system temporarily assumes the function of the storage company and can use third parties to fulfill its tasks,” says the law. This means that the Austrian RAG AG as a storage operator can look for another storage company. According to the “Wiener Zeitung”, Astora, RAG Energy Storage, OMV Gas Storage or Uniper Energy Storage are possible. They are all active in the storage business in Austria.
The reason why a withdrawal of the storage facility is in the air is that Gazprom has not used its storage facility in Haidach since Russia attacked Ukraine. The Austrian government reacted by anchoring the “use it or lose it” principle in the Gas Act. It was also stipulated by law that the gas storage facility in Haidach must be connected to the Austrian gas grid. Haidach is currently only connected to the German gas network.
Gazprom’s GSA storage facility in Haidach has had a filling level of 0.0 percent since March 29, 2022, according to the AGSI database of the interest group Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE). Significant quantities were last stored at GSA in mid-December 2021.
Source: Nachrichten
