The European Union has reached its target of filling gas storage facilities to 90% of capacity, some two and a half months before the 1 November deadline, according to data published on Friday 18 August by Gas Infrastructure Europe.
In terms of security of supply, gas storage can cover a third of the EU’s winter gas demand.
According to recently published figures, gas storage levels reached 1024 TWh, or 90.12% of storage capacity (equivalent to just over 93 billion cubic metres of natural gas).
These fill levels vary between member countries: Spain has reached a percentage of 99%, France 83% and Latvia 77%.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the EU adopted a number of measures to tackle the energy crisis and be better prepared for winter.
The August 2022 regulation to reduce gas demand by 15% led to an 18% fall in gas consumption between August 2022 and May 2023. This regulation has been extended for a further year (see EUROPE 13145/15).
“The EU energy market is in a much more stable position than it was this time last year, in good part because of the measures we have taken at EU level”, European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson said.
“But we have seen in recent weeks that the gas market remains sensitive. The Commission will continue to monitor the situation, so that storage levels remain sufficiently high as we enter the next winter”. (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)