Storage facilities of Gas Storage CZ are fully prepared for maximum withdrawal

• All six underground gas storage facilities of Gas Storage CZ are technically fully prepared to use the maximum withdrawal capacity

• During extremely cold days, the storage facilities can withdraw up to 435 GWh of natural gas per day

More than 1.8 bcm of natural gas is currently stored in the six storage facilites of Gas Storage CZ. Technically, they are fully prepared to meet even the maximum gas withdrawal requirements of customers, in recent days reaching an average of 15 mcm per day. The average natural gas consumption in the Czech Republic in recent days was around 30 mcm per day.

"Domestic gas storage facilities are about 63 percent full to date and despite the fact that stocks were much higher this time last year, households and businesses need not worry about gas shortages. For example, at the end of 2021, the storage facilities were approximately half full, consumption was one third higher than this year, and no complications occurred, " said Minister of Industry and Trade Lukáš Vlček, adding: "In addition, winter consumption is not only covered from the storage facilites and with the approved abolition of the German levy, we can expect withdrawal from the storage facilites to decrease in the second half of the season."

"On exceptionally cold days, when temperatures drop well below freezing, we can withdraw up to 40 mcm of natural gas per day. After two years characterised by noticeably lower withdrawal from storage facilities, we are now returning to normal operations, even depending on the outside temperatures, and in the winter months the storage facilities can cover much more than half of the gas supply for the whole country," says Pavel Moučka, Chairman of the Board of Gas Storage CZ.

Gas Storage CZ's storage facilites still hold enough gas to cover this winter. It depends on the requirements of the customers who determine whether they want to store or withdraw the gas. The end of the withdrawal season is normally scheduled around mid-April, when the storage facilities will gradually start injecting gas for the next season. "However, we are able to meet customer requirements to the maximum extent possible and, thanks to our portfolio of six operations, we are able to inject natural gas during the withdrawal season and vice versa, " adds Pavel Moučka.