GIE appoints Dr Axel Wietfeld as new president for European gas storages

August 24, 2020

Dr Axel Wietfeld was appointed as the new President for gas storages at Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE) on 21^st August 2020.

Since 2016, Dr Axel Wietfeld has been Managing Director of Uniper Energy Storage, one of Europe’s major storage system operators. Prior to that, he held a number of executive positions in the gas supply and renewables businesses of E.ON/Uniper in Germany, the United Arab Emirates, Hungary and South Africa. At the beginning of his professional career, Dr Axel Wietfeld served as manager with two leading strategy consulting companies.

Commenting on his new responsibilities, Dr Axel Wietfeld said:
“I am honoured to have been elected as the President of Gas Storage Europe (GSE) and would like to thank the members for their trust. At this time of rapid policy changes, we will continue to engage with various stakeholders on the value of underground gas storages as essential pillars of a flexible and integrated energy system. In light of my future position as Managing Director of Uniper’s new Hydrogen business line, I am excited to expand on the hydrogen readiness of storage assets together with GIE members operating gas storages”.

The importance of storage in the context of the increasing need for flexibility has been positively recognised in the European Commission’s latest strategies on Hydrogen and Energy System Integration – and Dr Wietfeld is committed for the European gas storages to deliver on that. The existing and future highly efficient underground gas storages, coupled with innovative Power-to-Gas technologies, will guarantee a cross-sectoral security of energy supply in Europe. Concrete measures such as the adjustment of network charges, taxes and levies will need to be further developed to enhance the deployment of the hydrogen market.

Jean-Marc Leroy, Gas Infrastructure Europe President, stated:
“I would like to thank László Fritsch for his excellent contribution to Gas Infrastructure Europe in recent years and extend my congratulations to Ákos Kriston as new GIE Board Member. With the appointment of Dr Axel Wietfeld, GSE adapts its Executive Committee and continues its transformation towards a decarbonised energy system”.