It was announced on July 4 that Sweden-based energy company Vattenfall is building a huge heat storage tank with a capacity of 56 million liters in the Reuter West power plant, Berlin. This project is expected to be Europe’s largest thermal storage facility of that kind, and its launch is scheduled for 2023. The tank will store heating water at a temperature of 98 degrees Celsius, and this heat can be used when needed. The 45 m high “thermos” will be located at the Reuter West power station in Berlin. Experts at Vattenfall note that the surplus energy from other sources can be converted into heat and then stored in the buffer. The filling of the storage will start in July and will be completed by the autumn of 2022. The 56-million-liter capacity is the volume of about 350,000 bathtubs. “At a maximum output of 200 MW, the storage facility can provide heat for about 13 hours,” engineers at Vattenfall explain. In addition to this, the project helps reduce CO2 emissions. According to The Washington Post, the project is estimated to cost the company €50 million. Its thermal capacity of 200 megawatts will be enough to meet 10% of Berlin’s need for hot water. This project is important for the energy security of the city as it is more dependent on Russian fossil fuels than other parts of Germany due to its geographical location. European policymakers have repeatedly called on citizens to cut their use of heating and save power in order to reduce reliance on Russian fuel imports. This spring, EU leaders came up with a plan that will help Europe wean itself off Russian energy. In mid-June, Russia's energy giant Gazprom said it would reduce gas supplies via the Nord Stream pipeline. The reason for this is a delayed repair of the gas turbine by Siemens who failed to return it on time due to sanctions. Germany, however, believes that this halt in gas deliveries is done for political reasons and that the suspension of supply may go beyond the scheduled date. At the same time, Moscow points out that Germany’s failure to provide proper maintenance of the facility is the main obstacle to further operation of the pipeline.
