Germany Faces Winter Gas Supply Risks Amid Critically Low Storage Levels

(MENAFN) Germany could encounter difficulties securing sufficient natural gas supplies during the winter if temperatures fall sharply, as the country's storage facilities remain below the legally required filling target, according to an energy industry association.

The German gas storage facilities were operating at just 61% capacity as of Nov. 1, missing the mandatory 70% threshold by nine percentage points, the association INES warned on Tuesday.

The unusually limited replenishment recorded in 2026 resulted from substantial withdrawals toward the end of the previous winter, combined with insufficient financial incentives for companies to inject additional gas. Seasonal withdrawals had also begun as early as October.

Although Germany's gas supply is expected to remain stable under average or relatively mild weather conditions, projections indicate that an exceptionally cold winter could create shortages between January and March 2027.

The association's assessments suggest that monthly supply deficits could reach 6.6 terawatt-hours (TWh), while daily shortfalls could climb to 1.7 TWh on certain days in January.

INES also cautioned that increasing imports from neighboring European countries and operating recently developed liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals at their full capacity of 0.8 TWh per day would not necessarily resolve the problem if storage reserves become severely depleted.

"Imports through the available pipelines and LNG terminals alone cannot meet peak demand on cold winter days," INES Managing Director Sebastian Heinermann said.

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