FRANKFURT, Aug 28 (Reuters) - The German government is considering building up a natural gas reserve to become more autonomous if a crisis hampers gas imports, German paper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) reported.
Even though the country is to a large extent dependent on gas imports, it does not always hold a certain amount of gas in store as it does with oil, says a paper from the German economy ministry, FAZ reported.
A spokesman for the ministry said Germany must become less dependent on gas supplies but declined to comment on any plan for a national gas reserve.
Storing gas for an additional 90 days of supplies would cost some 2 billion euros ($3 billion) a year, the foreign trade association for mineral oil and energy estimated, FAZ said.
Germany imports about a third of the gas it uses from Russia, a quarter from Norway and produces some 15 percent itself. (Reporting by Peter Dinkloh; Editing by David Holmes)
