Underground gas storage ENERGY storage of the future ENGLISH Good reasons for gas Supply Natural gas is the ideal match Natural gas is highly efficient for renewables and economical Production Storage There is no way of saving up wind and sunlight, but Modern domestic condensing boilers have efficiencies natural gas can be stored. That means it can be used as high as 98 %, and natural gas is also an excellent to even out the unavoidable fluctuations in renewable fuel for power generation. Combined-cycle gas and energy output. This applies to homes, where gas can steam turbine generating stations are among the most heat water when the sun doesn’t shine, and it also efficient conventional power plants. In combined heat applies to public power supplies. The wide swings in and power configurations they deliver efficiencies of renewable electricity feed-in to the grid call for com- over 90 %. plementary technologies that are able to respond qui- ckly and flexibly to supply shortfalls. In short, natural gas is opening the way for the renewable energy age. Natural gas is safe It is the natural partner for renewables. The company From the field development stage through to transpor- Natural gas is climate friendly tation, storage, and use to generate heat and power, natural gas is a model of safety. RAG Austria AG is Austria’s largest gas storage company – making it the country’s biggest energy storage provider – and one of Europe’s leading technical storage facility operators. The company Natural gas is the conventional energy source with develops pioneering energy technologies that act as partners to renewables. Its portfolio of business the best climate performance. It releases 25 % less Natural gas is the key to activities also includes gas production, supply and trading, as well as the use of gas as a transport greenhouse gases than oil, and 30 – 35 % less than fuel. coal when burnt, and it is virtually dust free. Gas supply security already plays a big part in keeping down emissions. Transportation in safe underground pipelines signifi- RAG Austria AG is playing a vital role in achie- high environmental and safety standards, and cantly reduces environmental impacts as compared to Natural gas plays a key role in Austrian and European ving Austria’s ambitious climate goals, and in collaborative and transparent corporate cul- A decarbonised competing energy sources. Fortunately, the world has security of energy supply. Austria’s gas comes from the sustainable stewardship of the country’s ture. The company’s success reflects its ability future will require vast natural gas reserves, and in the longer term it will domestic production and imports under long-term raw material and energy supplies. Without the to innovate, and to spot and capitalise on new massive, sea- also be possible to manufacture gas from renewable contracts with reliable partners across Europe. Austria energy in RAG’s storage facilities, phased de- trends and business opportunities. sonally flexible energy sources. has a well-developed pipeline grid, and due to its geo- carbonisation would not be possible, so they RAG’s goal is to provide its customers with energy storage graphical location, it is connected to all of the major are key to future energy security. safe, efficient, environmentally friendly and capacity. All this is transit systems in the European grid. RAG Austria AG is committed to maximising affordable energy and gas storage services – provided by RAG. quality and maintaining its strong long-term sustainably and responsibly. commercial performance by leveraging its longstanding subsurface engineering exper- tise, wide-ranging technological capabilities, 2 / RAG UNDERGROUND GAS STORAGE / 3 Gas – the energy carrier of the future Providing secure, sustainable, competitive and affordable energy for all is a major challenge, and is essential to economic growth and prosperity in Europe. Conserving resources, boosting efficiency, made from waste materials, and synthetic gas enhancing storability, reducing dependency produced using power-to-gas technology. The In contrast to on imports and expanding the use of domestic Underground Sun Storage and Underground electricity, gas can energy sources are central issues for Europe’s Sun Conversion projects developed by RAG be stored securely energy sector – and we must pay close atten- have opened up the unique proposition of and transported tion to them. storing large volumes of gas produced from over very large renewable sources – such as solar and wind distances without The global energy business is in a ferment of power (synthetic methane and hydrogen) – losses, out of change. It is on course for a sustainable energy seasonally and carbon-neutrally underground sight, in a well-es- system that will limit climate change. The chal- for withdrawal whenever they are needed. tablished under- lenges faced globally and This turns RAG’s gas storage ground transmis- in Europe are immense. facilities into energy storage “Gas is a guarantor of sion network. Security of supply, as well facilities, creating a link between as efficiency and afforda- secure, sustainable, the gas and electricity sectors bility, must be delivered affordable and competitive so that they work together still along with decarbonisation energy supplies. These more closely.. and the move to green four factors are the keys to technology. This can only the success of the energy Gas already has a broad range be achieved by a huge col- transformation.“ of applications, underpinning lective effort, for which the safe, efficient and sustainable EU’s Energy Union strategy energy supplies. It is used to and the 2015 UN Climate Change generate electricity and heat, and in trans- Conference in Paris have laid the groundwork. portation as Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). Rethinking gas. For RAG, focusing on gas, an energy carrier that is highly versatile and promising, means looking at it from a new perspective. Conventional natural gas, which will conti- nue to play an indispensable role in energy supplies, is only one aspect of this. The other is “green gas” – biogas (or biomethane) 4 / RAG / 5 RAG is working on new projects in Austria Meanwhile, after the completion of the second and abroad aimed at meeting the growing development phase of the 7Fields storage Gas storage facilities – demand for storage capacity, to ensure that facility in April 2015 at Oberkling and Pfaffstätt, eco-friendly natural gas is available whenever RAG’s gas storage capacity expanded to around it is needed. For over 30 years, RAG has been 6 billion cubic metres. using depleted gas reservoirs to store gas, The company’s storage facilities serve custo- the energy storehouses playing a key role in security of supply. Today mers in Austria and abroad, and include joint it is Europe’s forth largest storage operators, ventures with major multinationals such as after converting about half of the gas reser- Gazprom and Uniper. voirs discovered over its 80-year history into of the future sustainable storage facilities. This is a figure unmatched anywhere in the world. By progres- sively expanding its storage capacity, RAG has Gas storage facilities underpin Europe’s energy supplies. Natural gas added a key additional link to its supply chain, storage has grown in importance in recent years, and is now pivotal to and in so doing it has developed a sustainable security of energy supply in Austria and Europe as a whole. form of gas production. 6 / RAG UNDERGROUND GAS STORAGE / 7 Role of storage facilities Balancing out daily swings First day of August First day of November in Spain Difference: 8,000 MW in Spain Wind power: 1% – 10% Wind power: 30% – 45% Balancing out seasonal swings MW MW 40000 40000 35000 35000 30000 30000 25000 25000 Withdrawal in winter Gas supply 20000 20000 15000 15000 10000 10000 5000 5000 Gas consumption 0 0 Injection in summer -5000 -5000 21 0 3 6 9 12 15 18 21 0 21 0 3 6 9 12 15 18 21 0 Wind Gas Other sources Wind Gas Other sources Balancing out daily and Gas storage – the perfect seasonal demand swings Did you know that you, too, partner for renewables benefit significantly from RAG‘s storage services? Natural gas is produced throughout the year, at roughly RAG’s gas storage facilities are crucial to the progressive energy sources need a partner in the energy mix to even constant rates. Austria’s imports are transported along decarbonisation of the energy system, the attainment of out the supply fluctuations – and natural gas fits the bill long-distance pipelines from Norway and Siberia, and as climate targets and the growing use of renewable energy perfectly. It is easy to store, and gas-fired power stations Demand-oriented storage and withdrawal of LNG cargoes. The amount of gas consumed by indus- sources. Together, environmentally friendly natural gas are not only environmentally friendly and efficient, they natural gas stored in the reservoir can ensure that try, power stations and households varies according to and renewables are a dream team. Natural gas from also offer outstanding operating flexibility. They are able every consumer, from industrial customers to the season and time of day. Demand is much higher in storage is a dependable source of energy to balance out to react immediately to ups and downs in wind and solar individual households, can be supplied safely, winter than in summer, and more gas is used during the the swings in wind and solar power output. To achieve output. environmentally friendly and reliably with energy day than at night. Gas must be stored to balance out the- the planned expansion in the use of renewables, these at all times. se swings in demand, and to ensure that it is available when needed. 8 / RAG UNDERGROUND GAS STORAGE / 9 What is an underground gas storage facility? Storing gas in depleted reservoirs is certainly one of the most efficient, eco-friendly and safe ways of stockpiling energy – but it takes a lot of expertise to get it right.