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1h ago

Germany’s Gas Storage Starts Winter at 75% as Operators Flag Extreme-Cold Risk

Regulators say legal targets were met and argue expanded LNG capacity and contingency tools limit the chance of a supply squeeze.

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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).
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Overview

  • INES warns that in a 2010-style cold snap storages could be depleted by mid-January 2026, while warmer scenarios would see moderate to extensive drawdowns through February.
  • Summer refilling trailed last year and fell short of INES’s September projection that storages would reach about 81% by November.
  • INES, representing operators of over 90% of capacity, criticizes the government for not using pre-winter instruments proposed by Trading Hub Europe to boost fills.
  • The Bundesnetzagentur and Economy Minister Katherina Reiche describe the situation as manageable, citing pipeline supplies and new LNG terminals.
  • If the statutory 30% minimum by 1 February 2026 is at risk, the government can order emergency market purchases, a measure previously used in winter 2022/23.