While cold temperatures are still dominating and after a chilly start to 2026, Germany is facing historic low gas storage supplies.
Underground gas storage facilities have fallen to 23.95 per cent full, equivalent to 60.14 TWh of working gas. That marks the lowest level recorded for mid-February since 2018, according to the latest data from Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE) Aggregated Gas Storage Inventory (AGSI), published yesterday.
The figure, down from around 30 per cent earlier in the month, reflects accelerated depletion driven by an unusually prolonged cold spell across northern and central Europe since January.
EU-wide storage stands at 33.97 per cent (388.15 TWh), also well below historical averages of around 50–58 per cent for this time of year.
Germany’s storage system relies heavily on large porous-rock facilities, including the country’s biggest site at Rehden.
In these formations, withdrawal rates, the speed at which gas can be extracted, decline non-linearly as inventories drop due to falling reservoir pressure.
When low enough, even substantial remaining volumes can become difficult to extract quickly enough to meet peak demand on very cold days.
Good Morning from #Germany, where gas storage levels have fallen below 24% – a record low for this time of year. Typically, storage levels average around 50.7% at this point. At 23.95%, inventories are also at their lowest level since May 2018. pic.twitter.com/GqHafPegwr
— Holger Zschaepitz (@Schuldensuehner) February 16, 2026
Current net withdrawals from storage average 1.2–1.7 TWh per day during the ongoing cold period.
Daily German gas demand rises to 4.8 TWh–5.2 TWh (or higher) under severe conditions, with imports — mainly Norwegian pipelines and LNG terminals — covering about 3.1 TWh/day –3.4 TWh/day at maximum rates.
Starting from the current level of 60.14 TWh, a sustained net withdrawal of 1.2 TWh per day—consistent with moderately cold weather—would provide a buffer lasting around 50 days.
If withdrawals increase to between 1.5 and 1.7 TWh per day, though, as has recently occurred during periods of intensified or prolonged cold, the available buffer would be reduced to approximately 35 to 40 days.
The heating season typically begins to ease by mid-March as temperatures rise, making the coming three to five weeks the most critical period of risk.
The crucial threshold emerges when storage falls below 20 per cent (under 50 TWh) while cold weather persists, as porous-rock deliverability constraints then limit the system’s ability to respond to demand spikes.
Reaching this point could take 7 days–12 days of continued very cold conditions (mean daily temperatures 4°C –6°C below seasonal norms, with persistent sub-zero nights and near-zero days), depending on exact draw rates.
If storage dips below 20 per cent amid elevated demand, peak-day shortfalls could occur on the transmission grid during extreme weather.
This could potentially require operators to activate interruptible contracts — starting with large industrial users — to protect households and critical supplies.
Under average or milder remaining-winter conditions, inventories would likely end the season at 10 per cent–15 per cent without breaching hard physical limits.
Industry sources and analysts note that while diversified imports provide flexibility, the combination of low starting inventories and physical withdrawal constraints at sub-20 per cent levels leaves a narrower margin than in previous years.
A return to seasonal temperatures in the coming weeks would ease immediate pressure; an extension of severe cold beyond mid-March would significantly test the system.
Official assessments remain calm. Economy minister Katherina Reiche and the Federal Network Agency (BNetzA) continue to state that supply is secure.
Reiche told newspaper Die Zeit earlier in. February that “the low filling level is no cause for concern,” citing secure Norwegian pipelines and global LNG availability.
