With the controversial gas surcharge, the federal government wants to prevent importers from collapsing as a result of severely curtailed Russian gas supplies. In addition to the procurement levy, a so-called gas storage levy should also take effect in the autumn.
This is intended to reimburse Trading Hub Europe, a joint venture of the long-distance gas network operator, for the costs incurred to ensure security of supply, i.e. for gas purchases. The Ministry of Economics recently assumed that this levy would not reach a “relevant size”.
The amount of this gas storage levy and the control energy levy is to be announced this Thursday, as Trading Hub Europe (THE) announced on request. Whether and to what extent these surcharges will also reach end consumers is an open question.
Observers assume that these surcharges will be significantly lower than the gas levy of 2.419 cents per kilowatt hour announced on Monday to save systemically important gas importers.
THE plays a central role in the gas market, for example by enabling gas companies to bill each other. In the gas crisis, THE has special tasks, such as reaching prescribed gas storage levels.
Among other things, THE has bought options for gas quantities that can be accessed in winter. There are also costs for the direct purchase of gas by THE to fill the storage tank. The gas storage should be at least 95 percent full by November 1st.
All of these costs can be passed on to gas suppliers via the gas storage surcharge that was raised for the first time. Whether they are then passed on to end customers in a further step should also depend on the amount.
In the middle of last week, the Ministry of Economic Affairs announced on request that it did not expect any relevant additional costs for consumers. According to THE, the surcharge is to be levied from October 1st.
In addition to the gas storage levy and other levies, the new level of the control energy levy is also to be announced. THE always uses control energy, i.e. gas, when the ratio between the gas volumes fed in and fed out is not balanced in the nationwide gas network.
