Germany has reached 75% capacity in its natural gas storage facilities, meeting the European Union’s target well ahead of the November 1 deadline, according to national operators’ group INES.
The group confirmed that the country should comfortably meet the legal requirement of 81% storage by November 1, though this is still lower than the 95% recorded at the same time last year.
INES noted that current levels would be sufficient to secure winter supplies if the season brings normal or warmer-than-usual temperatures. However, a colder winter could strain reserves.
The gas winter season, which shapes wholesale market dynamics, officially runs from October 1 through March 2026.
The EU introduced strict storage requirements after Russia reduced gas deliveries, with plans to fully phase out Russian imports by 2027.
Germany, as mainland Europe’s largest gas consumer, has underground storage equal to a quarter of its annual consumption.
Despite Germany’s progress, INES warned that slower storage refills in neighbouring countries could increase demand on German supplies, potentially depleting reserves by January if winter proves severe.
SEFE, one of INES’s 16 member companies, recently withheld new allocations at its Rehden site for 2025/26, while other key players include RWE Gas Storage West, Uniper Energy Storage, and VNG.
The next official update on Germany’s gas storage levels will be released on November 18.