Frankfurt (Germany) (AFP) - The German government stressed on Monday that the country's gas supplies are secure for the coming winter, despite storage levels lower than stipulated in regulatory regulations, in an announcement whose veracity was questioned by the sector's regulatory body, calling for additional measures to be taken.
Published on: 02/11/2026 - 13:41 Last updated: 02/11/2026 - 15:36
On November 1, German gas reserves were 61.5 percent full, according to the European platform Aggregated Gas Storage Inventory (AGSI), which is well below the limit set in regulations that impose an average filling of 70 percent, and below the EU average of about 75 percent.
Despite this, a spokeswoman for the German Economy Ministry stressed in a statement to Agence France-Presse that “gas supplies in Germany are secure for next winter, even with the current filling levels of stocks.”
She pointed out that the winter season in the country is supposed to pass “in good conditions,” noting that this opinion is shared by the European Commission and the Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur).
In response to an inquiry from Agence France-Presse, the Federal Networks Agency confirmed that “the security of supplies is guaranteed,” and that “the possibility of a tense situation regarding gas supplies is low.”
She pointed out that the goal of filling storage facilities by November 1 was not “necessary for security of supply,” noting that what is more important is the integration between the various import routes, gas reserves, and the level of demand “in a context in which sufficient quantities of gas are available at the global level and sufficient import capabilities.”
According to Berlin, the liquefied natural gas stations that entered service after the energy crisis caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 allow the largest economic power in Europe to better guarantee its supplies.
New stations inaugurated in Wilhelmshaven in 2025, and another expected in Gstaadt in the north of the country, are expected to further enhance these capabilities.
Berlin says that the majority of gas storage facilities record a filling rate of more than 70 percent, while the national average is falling due to declining levels in some locations, such as those belonging to SEFE, the former German subsidiary of the Russian energy company Gazprom, which was nationalized in 2022.
At the end of September, Economy Minister Katharina Reiche commissioned Sevi to purchase and store an additional 8 terawatt-hours of gas by December 15, with the aim of enhancing security of supply in the face of “geopolitical risks.”
The effects of this measure have not yet been fully reflected in current stock levels.
In a statement published on Sunday, the Association of Operators of Gas Storage Facilities in Germany (INES), an organization that represents more than 90 percent of the country’s gas storage capacity, considered that the filling goals set by the government “have not been achieved,” considering that this constitutes “a clear indication of the necessity of strengthening winter preparation measures.”
The organization called for obliging gas suppliers to build sufficient stocks before winter, instead of being satisfied with market mechanisms and commercial incentives, an approach to which the ministry expressed openness.
On Wednesday, the price of European gas exceeded the threshold of 100 euros per megawatt-hour for the first time in four years, driven by the war in the Middle East and lower stock levels compared to last year with the approach of winter.
© 2026 AFP
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