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2h ago

Germany’s Gas Storage Lags at 68% as Government Downplays Shortage Risk

Looser fill rules plus high prices slowed injections this summer, with four floating LNG terminals now underpinning supply security.

Technische Anlagen zur Ein- und Ausspeicherung von Erdgas stehen auf dem Gelände des Erdgasspeichers Rehden der SEFE Storage GmbH.
Die Gasspeicher in Deutschland sind aktuell vergleichsweise schlecht gefüllt - der Grünen-Abgeordnete Michael Kellner erklärte daher, Deutschland sei im Vergleich zu seinen europäischen Nachbarn nicht gut auf den kommenden Winter vorbereitet.
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Overview

  • As of August 21, German gas storage stood at 67.7% compared with an EU average of 74.8%, trailing neighbors such as France (83%), Poland (85%), Austria (~80%) and Belgium (89%).
  • Germany’s largest site at Rehden remains largely unused, with roughly 80% of its capacity currently empty.
  • The economy ministry and the Bundesnetzagentur say the supply situation is stable, citing secured pipeline flows from Norway and year‑round flexible imports via four FSRU terminals.
  • Industry groups attribute the low fill levels to elevated wholesale prices that curbed purchases by suppliers including municipal utilities, while asserting legal storage targets will still be surpassed.
  • The government has moved to ease consumer costs by shifting the gas storage levy to the federal budget under an Energy Industry Act change, estimating about €3.4 billion in relief.