Germany is preparing to establish a national strategic gas reserve designed to shield the country from severe supply disruptions, with costs for building the stockpile and purchasing gas estimated at up to 1.5 billion euros. The reserve would hold roughly 24 terawatt-hours of gas — about 10 percent of Germany's total storage capacity — and is intended to cover a 30-day outage at the Dornum import terminal. The cabinet is expected to approve the plan in mid-August, with initial filling slated for summer 2027.
Funding would come from a consumer surcharge of 29 to 36 cents per megawatt-hour, a mechanism that has drawn criticism from SPD deputy faction leader Armand Zorn.
Separately, a revised federal power plant strategy would give greater weight to sites in eastern and northern Germany, improving prospects for the Schkopau lignite plant to convert to gas before its mandatory 2034 coal-phase-out deadline. Saxony-Anhalt Energy Minister Armin Willingmann welcomed the shift.