The German regulator for natural gas in the country has reported that German underground storage facilities for liquefied natural gas are currently 50.8% full.
View of a UGS facility. Credit: British media
The German regulator for natural gas in the country has reported that German underground storage facilities for liquefied natural gas are currently 50.8% full. “Germany’s gas supply is still stable. Gas flows in Germany are at the usual level. The current UGS occupancy rate is 50.8 percent,” the regulator said.
Despite being filled over the halfway point, data from the Federal Network Agency in the country has indicated that Germany continues to increase fuel reserves in underground gas storages. Amid uncertainty over Russian gas supplies linked to its 4-month long war on Ukraine, Germany aims to fill its storage facilities by 90% by November 1.
Gazprom said that reaching this level would provide Europe’s largest economy with a “safety cushion” for two and a half months during a normal winter. In early June, the company noted that to fill European storage at 90%, importers would need to pump in more than 42 billion cubic meters of natural gas. This is about twice the current volume of liquefied natural gas currently stored underground in Germany.
Like other European countries, Germany has also been trying to achieve the goal of reducing its dependence on Russian energy resources. Germany plans to replace oil and coal by the end of 2022, and gas by 2024. On May 5, it became known publicly that Germany had begun to build up gas reserves, filling Reden, the largest underground gas storage facility in Western Europe. It can store about 4 billion cubic meters of gas. The former subsidiary of Gazprom is actively working on increasing reserves.
