What does an underground gasoline storage place appear to be? The instance of Etrez, in neighboring France – rts.ch

Since Moscow restricted and even reduce off Russian gasoline provides to Western Europe, European states have been stockpiling gasoline in anticipation of winter, when the gasoline is used probably the most. Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands are the European leaders when it comes to gasoline storage, whereas Switzerland, for its half, doesn’t at the moment have the infrastructure permitting it to be saved. TO DO.

In France, gasoline reserves are full in anticipation of winter, the French Power Regulatory Fee (CRE) introduced final week, which nonetheless continues to name on the French to make a collective effort. large scale geared toward decreasing their power consumption.

Goal fulfilled in France

The French authorities’s goal of filling the nation’s storage capability with pure gasoline by November has due to this fact been achieved, whereas Russian gasoline exports to France have fully dried up since 1 September. France thus turns into the third European nation after Belgium and Portugal to fill its pure gasoline storage capacities to the utmost.

Along with France, Belgium and Portugal, Poland additionally has its reserves nearly full, with a filling fee of 98.3% in line with the Fuel Infrastructure Europe database. On common, the international locations of the European Union have stuffed their storage capability to 89% in anticipation of an unprecedented winter with out Russian gasoline. The worst-off nation is Latvia, with 52.7%.

Fuel despatched to 1500 m depth

In France, the reserves correspond to 130 TWh. They’re increased than the common of latest years and signify “about two thirds of the winter consumption of SMEs and people”.

“This storage filling fee confirms the reliability of the system and of French gasoline infrastructure”, welcomed the CEO of Teréga Dominique Mockly, whose firm shops 1 / 4 of the gasoline in France, primarily on websites situated within the southwest. from the nation. The remaining three-quarters are unfold over 14 storage websites scattered all through the territory and operated by Storengy, in pure underground websites equivalent to aquifers.

The Etrez gasoline storage web site (F). [Storengy – DR]

The biggest gasoline storage web site in salt cavities in Europe, exactly operated by Storengy, is situated close to Etrez, a village about fifteen kilometers north of Bourg-en-Bresse, within the open countryside. The amenities of this web site inbuilt 1979 prolong over a number of hectares however calm reigns round, famous on the spot the RTS. The absence of noise is because of the truth that the storage areas are buried, at a depth of about 1500 meters. On the floor, outdoors the commercial buildings, we hear at most a slight hum.

Cavities dug within the salt

Underground, 20 gigantic cavities are in operation. They’re 150 meters excessive and 80 meters huge, sufficient to suit, to take a really French picture, 4 Arcs de Triomphe. These cavities are dug within the salt – that is what we discover right here at this depth. To create them, water is injected after which the brine is eliminated via set up in a devoted workshop.

Diagram of the saline storage cavities of the Etrez web site. [Storengy – DR]

The compressors, situated in one other sector of the storage web site, compress the gasoline to restrict its quantity earlier than injecting it into the cavities. “The objective is to extend the gasoline stress from 50 to round 200 bars”, specifies web site supervisor Franck Ramillien.

The Etrez gasoline storage web site. [Storengy – DR]When the time involves withdraw the gasoline to reinject it into the community, we undergo the wellhead, that’s to say the opening of the cavity, the place there’s a pipe with a diameter of about ten centimeters fitted with security valves.

The Etrez amenities are monitored instantly on web site 24 hours a day. This on-site management is coupled with different measures, particularly a ban on overflights of the whole web site, for which Storengy is working at the side of the French authorities, full Fleur Benoît, one of many group’s communication managers.

>> Learn additionally: Dependence on Russian gasoline offers wings to liquefied gasoline and storage, even in Switzerland

Radio topic: Katja Schaer
Internet adaptation: Vincent Cherpillod and ats