Creating security of supply
Our energy storage facilities make a major contribution to security of supply of Austria and Central Europe and are essential for a sustainable energy future. Currently still used primarily for traditional natural gas, they will in future enable the seasonal storage of green gas such as hydrogen for withdrawal at high capacity and at any time.
A highly developed pipeline network for gaseous energy sources, including storage facilities, means that energy is available, even when the sun goes in or the wind stops blowing. Existing infrastructure, comprising storage, pipelines and wells, will form the backbone of a renewable energy system in the future.
Austria’s storage facilities shoulder the responsibility for long term, large volume energy storage, ensuring that seasonal imbalances can be evened out. As energy generation from renewable sources grows, the need for large volume, seasonal storage capacity also increases, since it is required to balance out the seasonal swings from energy surplus (excess solar energy in summer) to deficit (increased demand due to low temperatures in winter). Storage enables established supply security to be maintained at all times. Industry and households still need energy supplies when the sun goes in or the wind stops blowing. In the sustainable energy system of the future, a range of different applications of storage technology will need to mesh together to meet Austria’s energy needs in the best possible way.
"Security of supply is the core issue for the energy sector. It is our mission, and we are committed to it unreservedly."