Germany's gas storage level reaches 100% of capacity

The filling level of natural gas storage facilities in Germany has reached 100%, according to data published on Tuesday by the European gas storage association GIE.

Full gas storage facilities are a vital buffer to ensure that German businesses and consumers have enough energy to last through the colder months ahead, despite the cut in Russian gas supplies as a consequence of the war in Ukraine.

The latest data shows 245.44 terawatt hours of natural gas were registered in the storage facilities on Monday morning. This was slightly above the 100% of 245.39 terawatt hours, which indicates the so-called working gas volume. For comparison, in January and February 2022, a total of just under 227 terawatt hours of natural gas were consumed in Germany, according to the German Federal Network Agency.

"The working gas volume reported by the gas storage operators indicates the secured capacity," the president of the German regulator, Klaus Müller, said on Monday evening. He explained the storage facilities were actually able to contain slightly more gas. "Storage levels can go on beyond 100%," he said.

At the EU level, the storage facilities were also well-filled on Monday, with Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE) recording a fill level of 95.6%.

In normal years, the storage facilities are usually well-filled in autumn, at the beginning of the heating season. The levels then decrease until spring.