Technical infrastructure for the injection and reception of natural gas in the German magazine SEFE retention GmbH in Rehden, 23 November 2022. © Getty Images / Hauke-Christian Dittrich/dpa
The level of gas stocks in German warehouses has reached historically low levels at this time of year due to the fast depletion of resources as a consequence of the freezing wave, reported the ZDF station on the weekend, citing manufacture experts. They warned that supplies could run out before the end of the heating period if exhaustion continued at the current rate.
According to the report, the level of gas in German underground warehouses is presently importantly lower than in early 2025 – about 50% compared to about 77% 12 months ago.
Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE) data show that the level has fallen by about 13% in the last 4 weeks.
If the depletion of resources continues at the same rate, by March the warehouses can be filled in only 5%, said Stefan Dohler station of EWE from Oldenburg.
"I do not want to rise the alarm, but I want to stress that the current situation with the filling level is as bad as in early 2022" – he warned, referring to 1 of the lowest moments in the past of German energy reserves, erstwhile the level of stocks was critically low.
Screenshot from Google.
Industry experts attribute the fast depletion of stocks to colder than usual weather, which came at the end of December, expanding request for heating above typical levels of January.
"At current filling levels below 52%, gas stocks are historically low" – told portal Sebastian Heinermann, Managing manager of Energy retention Initiative.
Timm Kehler, a associate of the Board of the Association of Gas and Hydrogen Industry, repeated this warning, saying that "gas stocks are well below the long-term average".
Although Germany has become more dependent on more costly LNG imports through maritime terminals, experts inform that from November to March they can only cover about 16% of the demand.
Dohler called for decisive action by the government, including the establishment of national gas reserves, to safe supplies.
The Russian energy giant Gazprom noted earlier that the stock exhaustion of this period is faster than usual across the EU. Last week, he warned that the block could face shortages, as stocks would fall below 60%.
The EU drastically reduced imports of Russian energy, which utilized to account for about 40% of its consumption, after imposing sanctions for the conflict in Ukraine in 2022.
Germany was among the most dependent, and Russia had previously supplied 55% of the gas.
Moscow condemned the EU's energy sanctions, arguing that the block is devoted to energy safety and industrial competitiveness for political purposes.
Translated by Google Translator
source:https://www.rt.com/news/630830-germany-gas-storage-historic-low/
