Gas inventories in European storage facilities exceed 65%

MOSCOW, September 1. /TASS/. Gas inventories in Europe's underground storage facilities have exceeded 65%, but remain at their lowest level for this time of year since records began in 2011, according to TASS calculations based on data from Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE).

As of August 30, European underground gas storage facilities were 65.09% full, 16.87 percentage points below the five-year average for that date, compared with 77.4% a year earlier. This is the lowest level recorded for this date since data collection began in 2011. EU storage facilities hold around 71.1 bln cubic meters of gas, 13.9 bln cubic meters less than a year earlier and the lowest volume since 2013. Gazprom previously forecast that gas inventories in European underground storage facilities may not even reach 75% by the next heating season.

Net injections (the difference between the volume of gas injected into and withdrawn from storage) into EU underground storage facilities in August 2026 are also at their lowest level in six years. Since the beginning of April, Europe has injected only 59% of the gas needed for the coming winter, or 40 bln cubic meters.

TASS previously reported that Europe risks entering the heating season with record-low gas inventories. The average rate of replenishment at underground gas storage facilities in EU countries in July was among the lowest recorded since data collection began in 2011 and accelerated only slightly in August. At these rates, Europe's storage facilities may be only 70-75% full by the traditional start of the fall-winter period, which would be the lowest level ever recorded at the beginning of a heating season.

Under European Commission requirements, EU countries must ensure that their gas storage facilities are 90% full between October 1 and December 1 each year. A 10% flexibility margin is allowed in the event of difficult storage-filling conditions. As a result, net injections into European storage facilities ahead of the 2026-2027 fall-winter period must total at least 68 bln cubic meters to meet the storage target.

Storage-filling rates this year have been significantly affected by Europe's lost "battle" with Asia for available liquefied natural gas supplies during the Middle East conflict, higher fuel prices, and extreme heat in June and July. During such hot summer periods, demand for electricity to power cooling and air-conditioning systems rises sharply. Gas is one of the main sources of electricity generation, alongside nuclear, wind and solar power.