Only 75% of Germany's natural gas storage capacity failed to meet expectations

Xinhua news agency, Beijing, November 19- according to the data released by the German energy storage initiative on the 18th, the natural gas storage capacity rate in Germany reached only 75% of the total storage capacity at the beginning of this year's heating season, which did not meet expectations.
According to the German news agency, according to previous estimates, Germany's natural gas storage rate should have reached 81% in early November. At present, the actual storage capacity rate is significantly lower than that of the same period in previous years. For example, the storage capacity rate in early November 2024 is 98%.
This is the Brandenburg Gate photographed in Berlin, Germany, on October 29. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter zhanghaofu in fact, Germany's natural gas storage rate reached the current level in September, but due to factors such as higher than expected natural gas consumption, the storage rate did not increase.
The association predicts that if the weather this winter is mild, Germany's natural gas storage rate will remain at least 30% by early February next year, reaching the legal level; However, in case of extreme cold weather similar to that in 2010, the existing inventory may be exhausted in the middle of January next year.
Sebastian Heinemann, the head of the association, called on the German government to introduce measures to ensure that natural gas storage facilities can obtain stable and affordable natural gas supply.
Before the Ukrainian crisis fully escalated in February 2022, Russia was the largest single natural gas supplier to European Union countries, and about half of Germany's total natural gas imports came from Russia. Since then, due to a series of sanctions imposed by the European Union on Russia, Russia's gas supply to EU countries has decreased sharply. Germany has opened up other natural gas supply channels to get rid of its dependence on Russian natural gas, but it still faces the situation of tight gas supply and soaring prices. (chaihaoyue)