Cavern storage
A significant portion of the stocks of the Erdölbevorratungsverband (EBV) is stored in underground caverns. In contrast to above-ground storage, which is used primarily for petroleum products, caverns are used primarily for crude oil.
Caverns are artificially created spaces within salt domes which generally have a volume of several hundred thousand cubic meters. Storage takes place either in caverns owned by the EBV or in caverns for which it has entered into a contractual arrangement with a third party.
Caverns owned by the EBV are operated by its wholly-owned subsidiary the Nord-West Kavernengesellschaft mbH (NWKG) headquartered in Wilhelmshaven, Germany.
The EBV maintains storage caverns at Wilhelmshaven-Rüstringen, Bremen-Lesum, Heide in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, and Sottorf located near Hamburg. At present, 62 caverns are maintained at these locations. As a result, the Nord-West Kavernengesellschaft mbH is currently Europe’s largest operator of liquid storage caverns.