Decommissioning of the gas storage facility Fronhofen
After around 27 years of operation, our gas storage facility Fronhofen near Ravensburg (Baden-Württemberg) will be decommissioned on 1 October 2024.
Background
The Fronhofen pore storage facility in the former Fronhofen-Ilmensee natural gas reservoir was put into operation on 16 May 1997. With a storage capacity of nine million standard cubic metres, it is one of the smallest storage facilities in Germany. After around 27 years of operation, Storengy Deutschland has made the business decision to decommission this storage facility on 1 October 2024 after thorough consideration.
The Fronhofen storage facility was primarily used for the purpose of flow commitments to the transmission system operator terranets bw. Flow commitments are required for the proper operation of gas grids. They ensure that certain gas flows are sufficiently available at one or more entry and exit points. As a result, the storage facility has not been used for the direct supply of natural gas to the Federal Republic of Germany for some time. The transmission system operator has now implemented major network expansion measures, resulting in no further need for network balancing using the Fronhofen gas storage facility. Accordingly, the storage customer has ended its contract as of 1 October 2024.
We have been active in the area for almost 30 years. We have close ties with the local community: whether it be with the volunteer fire brigades, social institutions or the Fleischwangen sports club, whose youth football camp we support every year via a sponsorship engagement. We are part of this region and are committed to fulfilling our responsibility to decommission our gas facility safely and appropriately in compliance with our TÜV-certified safety standards.
Klaus Fäßler, Site Manager, Fronhofen natural gas storage facility
No significance for security of supply
In terms of the total working gas volume of German gas storage facilities, which amounts to around 23 billion standard cubic metres, the Fronhofen gas storage facility only accounts for 0.04 per cent. The storage facility therefore plays no role whatsoever in the energy supply in Germany. Taking into account that German gas storage facilities account for a quarter of the European Union's gas storage capacity, the Fronhofen gas storage facility's share at EU level is just under 0.01 percent.
The Ministry of the Environment, Climate Protection and the Energy Sector in Baden-Württemberg confirms this assessment and "sees no need to use state funds to avert the closure of the Fronhofen-Ilmensee natural gas storage facility."
Furthermore, the Northern Black Forest pipeline from Au am Rhein via Ettlingen and Pforzheim to Leonberg was commissioned in 2016. This new gas pipeline is a further connection to the Trans-European Natural Gas Pipeline (TENP), which transports gas from the Netherlands to Switzerland and Italy. This contributes to security of supply in Germany and the Fronhofen natural gas storage facility is losing even more of its local importance for the energy supply.
Approval and procedure
In accordance with the Energy Industry Act, the decommissioning of the gas storage facility was reported to the Bundesnetzagentur (Federal Network Agency) and officially approved by resolution on 27 February 2024. The responsible mining authority, the Landesamt für Geologie, Rohstoffe und Bergbau (State Office for Geology, Raw Materials and Mining) at the Regierungspräsidium Freiburg (Regional Council), was informed of the further procedure and the intention to decommission the facility was formally reported.
The Federal Mining Act (BBergG) requires a final operating plan (ABP) for the decommissioning, describing the specific operating points in terms of potential risks and their elimination, and setting out the objectives to be achieved for the subsequent use of the site.
Storengy is currently preparing such an application. These plans will describe the measures planned for filling and securing the deep wells, as well as the dismantling of the operating and drilling sites and pipelines that are no longer needed. The aim is to completely dismantle all the facilities built for the gas storage facility, taking into account local needs and an officially approved subsequent use concept.
The authority will involve all public bodies and affected communities in the approval process. The affected communities include Fleischwangen, Horgenzell, Pfrungen, Wilhelmsdorf and Zußdorf.
Timetable
It is planned that the dismantling will be carried out swiftly in accordance with the legal requirements. The detailed timetable for the project has yet to be finalised. The following steps can be broadly outlined:
Preparation of a final operating plan and special operating plans for the wells, drilling sites, pipelines and surface facilities for submission to the responsible mining authority.
Start of the dismantling of the surface facilities, the wells including the well sites and the field pipelines, in accordance with the authorisation of the regulatory authority, the State Office for Mining, Energy and Geology.
Implementation of renaturation measures and/or provision of the areas for subsequent use.
Completion of final activities.
FAQs
Below you will find the most frequently asked questions and answers about the decommissioning.
Yes, we will regularly inform citizens and other interested parties about the progress of the decommissioning and important milestones. This will be done via the company website, the local press and, if necessary, other local information offers.
There may be minor temporary traffic disruptions, particularly during the active dismantling phases. We want to minimise these disruptions and inform residents in good time of any traffic restrictions via signs or the local press.
Storengy is merely the leaseholder and not the owner of the land. After the dismantling, the land will either be renatured or prepared for other uses. Concrete plans for the future use have not yet been determined and must be coordinated with the owners and municipalities.
No, health and safety at work are our top priority. We have an extensive TÜV-certified safety concept that is checked by the relevant authorities. The surface facility will already have been relieved of pressure and energy at the time of dismantling and therefore will not present any increased risk potential. We have been working at the Fronhofen gas storage facility for over 20 years without any accidents with downtime.
Internal assessments have shown that the Fronhofen storage facility is not suitable for hydrogen storage due to the geological structures. It is currently assumed that salt cavern storage facilities are significantly better suited for hydrogen storage than porous storage facilities (former storage sites), as is the case here.
The storage facility in Fronhofen is not being used for deep geothermal energy because the geological, legal and economic conditions at the site are not suitable for this purpose.
The depth of the boreholes is not deep enough to be used for the purpose of deep geothermal energy. The technology of open aquifers used for deep geothermal energy is not available in the rock layer (Trigonodus dolomite) in which the boreholes for gas storage are located. It would be necessary to drill deeper.
Storengy only has the rights to use the Trigonodus dolomite and not the earth's deeper layers. The current rights of use only apply to the storage of natural gas. This means that a new legal framework and procedures are required.
In view of these aspects and the increased investment and risks that would be involved, Storengy is not pursuing the use of deep geothermal energy.
Dialogue and exchange
We are committed to transparent, timely and continuous communication at all levels. Please do not hesitate to contact us for further information!
