At the end of the 1970s, one of the most important natural gas pipelines in Austria was dug across the Mühlviertel. At the end of the 1990s, another line came through the Innviertel – the central hub is the small town of Oberkappel.
This is not the only reason why the place, which has around 700 inhabitants, can be found on Europe’s most important gas map, the “Gas Infrastructure Europe”. In fact, Oberkappel is an important hub, because a 95-kilometer-long gas pipeline, the Penta-West, branches off from WAG here. It runs vertically through the Innviertel to Überackern. The plant, which went into operation in 1999, supplies gas not only to the OMV Burghausen refinery, but also to France.
Gewessler: Additional gas is consumed or stored here
Gas that comes from Norway to Austria via OMV’s newly acquired pipeline capacities is also to be used or stored there. That said Energy Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens) on Friday in the Ö1 morning journal. The minister also assumes that OMV will recover the additional costs for the additional transport capacity from the state. EUR 100 million per year was earmarked for this in the Gas Diversification Act.
In the Ö1 interview, Gewessler explained that the additional capacity is only now available, on the one hand by the fact that the pipeline capacities have now been re-auctioned – on the other hand by the fact that the state will bear the additional costs for the transport of non-Russian gas.
The additional amounts of gas that can be brought to Austria would reduce dependence on Russia; However, natural gas remains a scarce and expensive commodity, emphasized the minister. Saving gas therefore remains an issue. In this context, Gewessler also endorsed the EU Commission’s emergency plans, which include introducing an upper temperature limit of 19 degrees in public buildings in order to use less gas. At the same time, the minister expects the Commission to speed up the joint purchase of gas.
Source: Nachrichten
