The largest German gas storage facility in Rehden, Lower Saxony, was shut down until Friday after a deflagration. A spokeswoman for the operating company Astora said on Wednesday that the incident happened on Tuesday.
The security of supply is not at risk, the company said in a statement. The cause is being investigated. A spokesman for the Lower Saxony State Office for Mining said there was no evidence of sabotage.
At the moment it is assumed that the gas storage facility can be put back into operation on Friday. Until then, no further gas can be stored. A gas outflow is theoretically possible, but there is no demand.
According to the Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE) website, the storage facility was 90 percent full before the incident. The gas storage facilities play a key role in Germany’s efforts to replace the volumes after the Russian gas supply freeze.
The State Office for Mining, Energy and Geology in Hanover announced that on Tuesday at around 10.30 a.m., for reasons that are still unclear, there was a deflagration on a flare for the compressor units on the open-air site.
People were not harmed. Effects on the environment have not been determined.
The Federal Network Agency sees no impact on the secure gas supply in Germany as a result of the incident. (Reuters)
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