As of 6:00 a.m. on January 1, Russian gas is no longer being transported to Austria via Ukraine after the gas transit contract between the Russian company „Gazprom Export“ and the Ukrainian „Naftogaz“ expired, bTV reported.
The Austrian energy sector has adapted to the cancellation of transit via Ukraine, system operator AGGM /Austrian Gas Grid Management AG/ announced last night, gas supplies to the domestic market remain secure. The operator recorded a drop in the volume of deliveries both at the hubs from Ukraine to Slovakia and at the Baumgarten gas hub from Slovakia to Austria.
The Slovak gas pipeline operator “Ustream“ also confirmed that the flow of gas from Uzhhorod in Ukraine to Velké Kapusány in Slovakia had been stopped.
However, this step was not a surprise, it had been announced several times, commented the website of the ORF radio and television.
“Ukraine made it clear much earlier that it would not extend the transit contract with the aggressor Russia“, Austrian Energy Minister Leonor Gewesler noted in a press release. “We were well prepared for this scenario“.
As the member of the board of the energy regulator /E-Control/ Alfons Haber emphasized to Austrian radio, these volumes were immediately replaced with additional supplies from Germany (via Oberkapl) and Italy (via Arnoldstein).
According to Haber, the suspension of transit should not affect domestic gas prices.
After Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent energy crisis, Austria purchased and stored almost 20 terawatt hours (TWh) of gas as a strategic reserve in 2022, ORF recalls.
In the previous year, around 76 TWh of gas were consumed in Austria, and Austrian storage facilities are 79 percent full with around 80 TWh. In addition, Austria can import up to 185 MWh per year via Germany and Italy, the Ministry of Energy announced.
Market participants have switched to alternative sources of gas, which compensates for the supply restrictions, BTA reported. Thus, supplies to Austria are still guaranteed, ORF added.