Germany scraps gas tax for foreign buyers - Law helps neighboring countries cut costs and diversify supplies
Germany's lower house of parliament on Friday approved a change to energy law from January 1, 2025, eliminating a gas storage fee at border points and virtual trading centers. This decision frees foreign consumers from a costly price element.
The change in the law, prompted by the tax's incompatibility with European energy solidarity and aimed in particular at helping southwestern neighbors to diversify gas procurement from Russia, received a parliamentary majority.
It could take effect from January 1, 2025, when the tax, applied to domestic gas buyers from system operator Trading Hub Europe (THE), will see a 20% increase to €2.99 per megawatt hour (MWh).
Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia feared the collapse of the German coalition government in November risked delaying the law change they had called for earlier this year.
Germany agreed in May to remove the tax on foreigners, but had to implement the corresponding change in the law. With the measure approved, foreign buyers could avoid additional costs at a time when cold weather and low renewables output have already pushed European gas prices to their highest levels in two years.
The operator is implementing the tax as part of a 2022 government mandate to fill and empty parts of Germany's vast gas infrastructure to help create energy security after the Ukraine invasion led to curbs on gas exports. Russia to the west.
Germany has 23 billion cubic meters of underground gas storage capacity, making it one of the major powers globally and the EU's leading storage site.
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