Germany’s gas storage facilities are only three-quarters full

Germany’s gas storage facilities are relatively low at the start of the heating season, but a federal authority has said this is no cause for concern.

The association of German gas and hydrogen storage system operators, known as INES, reported in Berlin on Tuesday that the country’s storage facilities were only 75% full at the beginning of November.

This is “significantly below the usual fill levels of previous years.” At the beginning of November 2024, for example, gas storage facilities were 98%, INES said.

The current level of 75% had already been reached in September, when INES had expected an increase to 81% by the beginning of November.

However, this did not happen – instead, more gas was consumed than expected, and gas filling from other EU countries was weaker than anticipated.

Because INES member companies earn revenue from storing gas, they have an economic interest in maintaining high fill levels.

According to the group’s forecast, the legal requirement that storage facilities remain at least 30% full at the start of February will be met under mild or average winter conditions.

But in the event of a severe cold spell – like the one experienced in 2010 – reserves could be depleted by mid-January.

A spokesman for the Federal Network Agency downplayed the figures, noting that Germany’s supply situation has shifted in recent years.

Thanks to new liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals, the country now has additional import capacity. “We currently consider the risk of a gas shortage to be low,” the spokesperson said.