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3h ago

Germany Starts Heating Season With Low Gas Stocks as INES Flags Potential January Shortfalls

INES faults missing fill incentives for a roughly 75 percent start, raising the question of whether imports alone could bridge an extreme cold spell.

Der Füllstand der deutschen Gasspeicher ist zu Beginn der Heizsaison sehr niedrig. Deutschland starte "mit einem unerwartet niedrigen Speicherfüllstand von nur 75 Prozent in die Heizperiode", erklärte die Initiative Energien Speichern (INES).
Deutschlands Gasspeicher sind zu Beginn der Heizsaison besorgniserregend niedrig gefüllt.
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Overview

  • German gas storages are about 75 percent full at the outset of the 2025/26 heating season, which is lower than recent years and behind other EU countries.
  • In a cold-weather scenario comparable to 2010, INES projects storages could be emptied by mid-January 2026, risking supply shortages.
  • Under warm or average winter conditions, INES says the legal minimum of 30 percent on February 1, 2026 would still be achievable.
  • INES criticizes the government for not using promised measures to secure higher fills, while the Bundesnetzagentur says EU target levels were met on November 1 and points to pipeline and LNG imports to safeguard supply.
  • INES represents operators covering over 90 percent of German storage capacity, it had expected roughly 81 percent by November, and consumers are being urged to curb gas use as a precaution.