Germany desperately needs to pray for a warm February miracle if the country is to avoid an energy disaster and a state of emergency. [some emphasis, links added]
Currently, there’s no danger to private households as their supply is guaranteed. The risks, however, are for industry.
Should storage levels drop to even more dangerously low levels, then energy-intensive industry will be forced to shut down — a step that would cripple the already struggling German economy.
Bavarian gas storage levels are at critical lows
No place is as critical as in the southern state of Bavaria.
Apollo News describes a worrisome situation regarding Bavarian natural gas storage facilities, where fill levels are now significantly below legal requirements.
While the Federal Government mandates a fill level of 40% for Bavarian storage facilities by February 1 (due to their strategic importance for Southern Germany), the actual average in Bavaria is currently just 25%.
Only 6% full – virtually empty!
The situation is particularly dramatic at the Wolfersberg storage site, which is filled to less than 6%, making it effectively empty.
Other sites like Inzenham-West (under 19%) and Bavaria’s largest facility, Breitbrunn (approx. 20%), are also far below the target.
Germany-wide levels dip below 38%
Across Germany, the situation is hardly better. Total storage levels have fallen below 38%. According to the “Natural Gas Emergency Plan,” levels below 40% are officially classified as “critical.”
Yet, the German government and media continue to keep silent on the issue, which is only spawning and fueling conspiracy theories.
There are reports that the government has stopped updating storage levels.
Industrial hubs face shutdowns
Since Germany’s largest storage facilities are located in the North (Lower Saxony/North Rhine-Westphalia), the Upper Bavarian sites (representing about one-eighth of total capacity) are essential for supplying the industrial hubs of Southern Germany.
In neighboring Austria, storage levels remain significantly higher at approximately 50%.
Read more at No Tricks Zone
