Storage of gaseous energy sources

RAG’s energy storage facilities are highly versatile. Their wide range of capabilities guarantees security of supply in Austria and Europe, and they hold the key to a stable energy future. 

Traditional natural gas is stored seasonally and in large volumes in our porous reservoirs, and in future, green gas such as hydrogen will increasingly be stored there too, so that it can subsequently be processed at and then made available at any time at high capacity whenever it is needed.

As a technical storage operator our task is the storage of gaseous energy sources and the utilization of reservoirs for sustainable energy storage.

With about 6.4 billion cubic metres (bn cu m) of gas storage capacity that can be drawn on rapidly around the clock, RAG Austria AG is Austria’s largest energy storage company and one of Europe’s leading storage operators. RAG operates around 6% of total gas storage capacity in the EU. 50% of our gas reservoirs have already been sustainably converted into gas storage facilities, which makes a major contribution to security of supply in Austria and Central Europe.

Efficient and safe

Use of underground natural gas reservoirs is the safest and most efficient way of storing energy. Austria has geological structures that are ideal for gas storage.

New supplies can be stored in these formations, where gas accumulated naturally over millions of years, at depths of more than 1,000 metres. These former gas fields originated over 20 million years ago, when organic matter in the primeval ocean that occupied today’s Prealps was trapped by sandstone sediments. Over time, gas built up in the pores of the sandstone, forming gas reservoirs that can cover an area of several square kilometres. Clay strata several hundred metres thick overlie the gas reservoirs, and this natural insulating layer makes them an extremely safe means of underground storage. The proof of this comes from nature itself, since the original gas reserves were held there for millions of years.

Energy storage over the year

Natural gas is produced throughout the year, at roughly constant rates. Austria’s imports are transported along pipelines from Russia and Norway, and as LNG cargoes from all over the world. The amount of gas consumed by industry, power stations and households varies according to the season and time of day. Demand is much higher in winter than in summer, and more gas is used during the day than at night. Gas must be stored to ensure that it is available when needed. Storage injections and withdrawals in recent years have shown that withdrawal periods are lengthening, and that in future RAG’s storage facilities will be required to provide even more flexibility – also in order to compensate politically or technically unpredictable situations.

Using reservoirs as long-term storage

We have been using underground gas reservoirs as energy storage facilities for over 45 years. The expansion of gas storage in Upper Austria and Salzburg over the last 30 years has been a key component in strengthening security of supply in Austria and Central Europe. Furthermore, this has not only added a key element to the value chain but has also established sustainable energy mining. RAG has now converted a large proportion of the natural gas reservoirs discovered during its more than 90-year history into storage facilities, thereby enabling their long-term use. In doing so, we are making a significant contribution to tackling one of the greatest challenges facing energy supply: the storability of energy.

With our energy storage facilities, we serve national and international customers and run joint projects with international energy companies. The capacity of RAG’s own gas storage facilities is marketed by its subsidiary, RAG Energy Storage. Thanks to the necessary resources, infrastructure and expertise, RAG is working intensively on the development and expansion of innovative and forward-looking energy storage solutions centered on green gas.