Transit contract for Haidach gas storage facility fixed

In the agreement, joint responsibility for the use and filling of the Haidach and 7Fields natural gas storage facilities was agreed. The Energy Ministry and the German Economics Ministry announced that the stored gas quantities would be transported in the event of a shortage.

The agreement between the departments of both countries was signed by Energy Minister Leonore Gewessler from Austria and Germany’s Economics Minister Robert Habeck (both Greens) in Schönbrunn Palace. It will come into force 30 days after signature and follows on from a memorandum of understanding signed in July 2022. It serves to implement Union law requirements. The two storage facilities have already been used by Austrian and German gas companies in the past.

According to the two ministries, the most important points of the agreement are the responsibility for the filling target of the two natural gas storage facilities, which are located in Austria but have so far mostly been connected to the German grid. The filling target is now divided between Austria and Germany in the overall view.

Transit even in the event of a lack of gas

Gas transit via Germany to Tyrol and Vorarlberg also remains intact in the event of a gas shortage, which is of fundamental importance for the two westernmost federal states of the Alpine republic. Austrian companies that have stored gas in Haidach or 7Fields (both in Upper Austria) can also transport this storage volume via Germany to Vorarlberg and Tyrol in an emergency, provided that technical reasons do not prevent the transit.

In addition, Vienna and Berlin mutually assure each other that access to the quantities stored in the Haidach and 7Fields storage facilities, which were stored for the purpose of guaranteeing security of supply, also exists in the event of energy control or gas shortages.

“Safety net for stable gas supply”

“The agreement with Germany is an additional safety net for the stable gas supply of Austria and especially one for Vorarlberg and Tyrol,” emphasized Gewessler. “With the reserve, we have stored a safety cushion in case of a crisis.” In principle, Austria and Germany “rely on each other for the gas supply. Austria is a landlocked country – and therefore always dependent on other countries that transmit gas to Austria. At the same time, we also have something to contribute,” the local politician referred to the large storage facilities that are located are on Austro soil. These are “also important for our neighboring countries in the event of a crisis”. Solidarity is the best response to “Putin’s attempts at blackmail.”

German Economics Minister Habeck also emphasized solidarity. “In 2021, Germany and Austria were among the first countries to conclude a solidarity agreement to ensure secure gas supplies in the event of a gas shortage. The agreement now concluded on the Haidach and 7Fields storage facilities is a further joint step in the close and trusting cooperation between Austria and Germany in the field of energy security and supply.” It makes another important contribution to the supply of natural gas to southern Germany and Austria and to European energy cooperation.

“Trust is good, independence is better”

The contract was pre-fixed in October. Details were still open until January.

Tyrol’s governor Anton Mattle (ÖVP) was “reassured” by the contract and promised to “do everything possible” to get out of fossil fuels. The exit “does not work overnight,” he said in a broadcast. “That’s why we need bridge fuels, like gas,” Mattle said. However, the head of state did not want to rely “only on talks between Vienna and Berlin”: “Trust is good, independence is better. That is why it is still our goal to connect Tyrol directly to the Austrian gas network.”