Bratislava – The average gas storage level in the European Union is at 54%, while Slovakia’s level stands at 43%, as reported by Denisa Saková, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of Slovakia (Hlas-SD). This statement was made on Friday in response to comments from the previous leadership at the Ministry of Economy, including her predecessor Karol Hirman and National Council member Karol Galek (SaS), according to TASR.
“Slovakia has approximately 35 terawatt-hours (TWh) of storage capacity, with 17 TWh already leased by SPP, and around 7 TWh located in Dolné Bojanovice in the Czech Republic, which is filled to 85% and is owned by SPP for household supply safety. Currently, SPP has filled half of this 17 TWh,” Saková stated, countering Hirman’s claims that Slovakia’s gas reserves are significantly below the EU average, particularly compared to last year’s higher levels of storage.
She criticized the former Minister of Economy for providing misleading information to the public.
“Having half of the storage filled by mid-June is typical, as the storage is usually filled in summer when gas prices are lower and there’s no heating demand. I assure you that all contracts for gas to be stored will be fulfilled by November 1, ensuring that the 17 TWh required by EU regulations will be met,” the Minister of Economy noted.
Saková added that the country is currently receiving less than half of its gas from Russia and is sourcing a larger amount from various diversification contracts due to insufficient capacity for required Russian gas imports.
She also highlighted that Slovakia’s EU fund program in the energy sector, particularly aimed at Green Households and Green Solidarity initiatives, is ongoing. “We are prepared to enhance these programs with additional funding in the next review,” she stated. (June 20)
“Currently, we are taking less than half of the gas from the Russian side, and we are currently purchasing a larger portion of gas from various diversification contracts. This is because we do not have, or there is not sufficient capacity, to take as much Russian gas as we would need.” Denisa Saková
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