The natural gas storage facilities in Germany are 100 percent full – sometimes even more than that. At EU level, the level is 95 percent.
The filling level of the natural gas storage facilities in Germany has cracked the 100 percent mark. This emerged on Tuesday from data published on the Internet by the European gas storage association GIE. According to the latest information, 245.44 terawatt hours of natural gas were registered in the storage facilities on Monday morning.
This was slightly above the 100 percent mark of 245.39 terawatt hours, which indicates the so-called working gas volume. For comparison: In January and February 2022, according to the Federal Network Agency, a total of almost 227 terawatt hours of natural gas were consumed in Germany.
“The working gas volume reported by the gas storage operators indicates the secured capacity,” said the President of the Federal Network Agency, Klaus Müller, on Monday evening when the known value was just under 100 percent. The physical possibilities of the storage facilities are partly higher, so that some could store more gas. “That’s why it’s possible to continue storing beyond 100 percent.”
When it comes to percentages, the GIE transparency platform AGSI only considers the fill level in relation to the working gas volume. The reported value therefore reaches a maximum of 100 percent. At the EU level, too, the reservoirs were well filled on Monday morning: the AGSI side recorded a filling level of 95.6 percent.
The storage facilities compensate for fluctuations in gas consumption and thus form a buffer system for the market. They are usually well filled when the heating season begins in autumn. The filling levels then decrease until spring. According to the Energy Industry Act, they should still be 40 percent full on February 1st.
