
Gas reserves in the European Union this winter decreased significantly faster than in the last year. Gas storage
in Hungary. Photo: Laszlo Balogh
Supplies of gas in the European Union this winter decreased significantly faster, than in last year.
Gas
storage facilities are only full at 58.5 percent, reported on Thursday, 23 January, agency AFP with a reference to data from the European platform for gas storage (Agsi). In last winter the level of gas storage capacity in the EU was 74 percent.
In Germany Germany gas storage facilities filled to 61 percent, in Italy – almost 68 percent, France recorded one of the lowest indicators in the EU – about 42 percent. The situation is worse only in Croatia, where the level of occupancy is slightly lower.
Threats to gas supply
The current level of gas storage in the EU is not a immediate threat to gas supply, but to the European Union countries, according to the International Energy agency (IEA), they will have to buy significantly more gas, than the summer 2023 and 2024 years, to replenish the reserves for the next winter season.
One of the reasons for the reduction of gas reserves was more cold and windless weather, which caused a reduction in production of energy from wind, explained Mike Fulwood of the Oxford Institute for Energy Research. In addition, at the beginning of the year Ukraine allowed the expiration of the transit contract for the supply of Russian gas, which was previously delivered through Ukrainian gas pipelines to Europe. This has especially affected Austria, Slovakia and Hungary, which have until now actively bought Russian gas.
Prices for gas in Europe have recently increased. The Dutch TTF contract, considered the benchmark, on January 22 was 51 euros per megawatt-hour – thehighestsinceOctober2023year.In the morning of23Januarythepricewas50.29eurospermegawatt-hour.