EU gas storage at 70% as prices top €73/MWh

European Union gas storage facilities are around 70 percent full, compared with 82 percent at the same time last year, according to data compiled by Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE).

Storage levels vary significantly across member states, with facilities in France around 81 percent full, compared with about 57 percent in Germany.

The pace of storage replenishment has slowed this year as European gas prices have climbed above €73 per megawatt-hour, more than doubling since the end of February amid energy supply disruptions linked to tensions in the Middle East.

Since 2022, EU member states have been required to fill gas storage facilities to 90 percent ahead of winter.

Under revised EU rules, countries now have a two-month window, from 1st October to 1st December, to meet the 90 percent target, alongside greater flexibility in cases of difficult market conditions or technical constraints.

European gas storage facilities typically cover around 30 percent of the bloc’s winter consumption.