Low Storage Levels: Refilling Gas Storage Facilities for the Next Heating Season Becomes a Challenge

• The industry expects very low levels in German gas storage facilities by the end of the heating season.
• The statutory minimum storage level as of 1 February will be met.Refilling gas storage facilities for the coming heating season will be a major challenge.
• Kehler: “The federal government needs a concept to use gas storage as a genuine insurance instrument and to ensure efficient refilling ahead of the next heating season. Empty gas storage facilities are like an insurance policy without coverage.”

By 1 February 2026, gas storage facilities in Germany must have a fill level of 30 percent. This statutory requirement is expected to be met; however, a further decline is anticipated by the end of the heating season. The association Die Gas- und Wasserstoffwirtschaft therefore sees major challenges for the winter of 2026/2027.

At just under 94 TWh, or around 35 percent fill level, Germany’s gas storage facilities are currently at levels comparable to the crisis year 2022 following the loss of Russian gas supplies. Dr. Timm Kehler, CEO of the association Die Gas- und Wasserstoffwirtschaft, nevertheless sees major differences compared with four years ago. “Thanks to LNG infrastructure on Germany’s North and Baltic Sea coasts and new pipeline connections, the gas industry can respond to demand at short notice. Germany has taken important steps in recent years to strengthen security of supply. Gas storage facilities remain the insurance for reliable supply in cold winters like this one. But resilience is not created by storage capacity alone—it depends on storage levels. Refilling for the coming winter is therefore the central challenge. Empty gas storage facilities are like an insurance policy without coverage.”

Overall, security of supply in Germany rests on several pillars: diversified gas import sources, a high-performance infrastructure, and a balanced storage portfolio. The current situation in gas storage facilities is, however, the result of a regulatory dilemma. “In fulfilling its responsibility for security of supply, the state sets mandatory storage targets but shifts the economic risk onto storage operators. For gas traders, holding gas that is only needed in exceptional cases is not a viable business model. The risk is that storage facilities will be shut down and the insurance effect will erode,” says Kehler. In a study commissioned by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy last autumn, the consultancy Frontier Economics already concluded that while the storage requirements in 2022 were an effective emergency measure, today they lead to noticeable market distortions.

Looking ahead to the next heating season highlights the challenges: last summer, around 125 TWh of gas had to be injected for the winter of 2025/2026 to meet the storage targets. Current storage levels are significantly below last year’s figures. If this trend continues, almost 50 percent more gas than last year would have to be injected next summer.

From the perspective of Die Gas- und Wasserstoffwirtschaft, a reliable regulatory framework and market-based incentives for refilling storage facilities are therefore required. In neighboring European countries such as France, Italy, and Austria, comprehensive and efficient market rules have been defined that provide incentives for competing traders to hold gas even for extreme situations. Comparable rules urgently need to be introduced in Germany. “The federal government needs a clear concept to ensure the refilling and management of gas storage facilities. Looking to our European neighbors is worthwhile,” Kehler calls for. “At present, traders are caught between state requirements and the government’s desire to let market forces prevail. It is crucial to resolve this contradiction in order to secure supply while keeping costs under control.”