Flexibility is becoming increasingly important for many market participants. What advantages does the new monthly product in Rehden, launched in June 2026, provide?

The concept for the monthly product emerged through discussions with PRISMA, the European platform for trading capacity rights, through which we conduct our storage auctions. Since LNG terminal capacities are also marketed via PRISMA, the idea arose to offer an easily accessible storage product for customers requiring storage capacity at short notice. This can be particularly valuable for companies looking to secure regasification capacity for an LNG cargo, for example.

The product is characterised by very high injection and withdrawal rates. As a result, the entire purchased storage volume can theoretically be both injected and withdrawn within the 31-day contract period.

Especially during the summer months, the product gives companies greater flexibility regarding their trading and procurement strategies. Since June 2026, we have therefore been offering, for the first time, a monthly product that is continuously available throughout the summer period, regardless of prevailing market conditions. By doing so, we are responding to growing demand for short-term and flexible storage capacities and creating additional opportunities for customers to capitalise on market developments.

Another new offering is the options product in Rehden. What makes this product stand out?

The options product was also developed in response to current market conditions and was successfully marketed for the first time on 13 August 2026. It creates an additional avenue for marketing storage capacities that, given current circumstances and the advanced stage of the storage year, would likely remain unused.

Customers initially acquire only a low-cost usage right, or option, to utilise storage capacity at a later date. Most of the cost is incurred only if the capacity is actually used, through a variable usage fee.

As such, the product’s value proposition depends largely on future market opportunities and price developments. In this respect, the options product differs fundamentally from traditional storage products, where customers generally enter into a contract with a clear intention to use the purchased capacity, and the associated volumes are therefore expected to be utilised.

With the new options product, market participants can secure access to storage capacity without committing to use it from the outset. What added value does this offer for the market and for security of supply?

The options product was specifically developed for capacities that would likely remain unmarketed under current market conditions. It covers only a relatively small share of the total storage capacity that is not required for meeting the legally mandated fill level target of 45 percent.

With this in mind, the options product creates an additional commercialisation pathway for marketing storage capacity. It enables a limited share of available capacity to be activated at short notice if market conditions change, thereby increasing market participants’ flexibility and responsiveness.

In addition to developing new products, SEFE Storage has also created a new marketing model through Speicherzone Nord. What is behind this concept?

Speicherzone Nord was established to jointly market two major natural gas storage facilities, Jemgum and Rehden. The two types of storage facilities complement each other perfectly. Jemgum is a salt cavern characterised by particularly fast injection and withdrawal rates, while Rehden, a porous rock storage facility, offers substantially larger storage capacity.

Together with Rehden, Speicherzone Nord forms part of the Rehden storage complex. With a capacity of around 9 TWh, accounts for approximately one-fifth of the complex’s total storage volume. Its key advantage lies in the combination of the strengths of both sites. While the entire working gas volume is physically stored at Rehden, additional injection and withdrawal capacity from Jemgum is also available.

This means that gas can be injected and withdrawn more efficiently and at higher rates than would be possible at a single facility. By leveraging the synergies created by the additional injection and withdrawal capacity, we can offer customers a product that enables them to turn over their booked working gas volumes significantly faster. For the current storage year, we have successfully marketed all of the capacity within Speicherzone Nord.

Another benefit relates to operational handling for our customers. Under an agreement with the transmission system operator GASCADE, transportation-related processes for both Rehden and Speicherzone Nord are handled through a single transfer point. As a result, customers can use the same transportation capacity booking for both Rehden and Speicherzone Nord. This simplifies processes, reduces administrative effort and makes the use of our storage products considerably more customer-friendly.

The examples presented here demonstrate how storage products can adapt to changing market conditions. In your view, what role will such innovations play in shaping the future of gas storage?

As market conditions in the energy sector are constantly changing, storage products must continue to evolve as well. Our goal is to develop solutions that respond flexibly to new market requirements while ensuring that available storage capacity can be utilised as effectively as possible.

The examples from Haidach, Rehden and Speicherzone Nord illustrate how we are creating new commercialisation opportunities through innovative products. In doing so, we enhance the attractiveness of gas storage, increase flexibility for our customers and contribute to both the continued evolution of the European gas market and security of supply.