The European Commission and EU member states have insisted the bloc’s gas supply remains secure ahead of winter, even though storage levels are well below the norm for the time of year.
The assessment came at a meeting of the Gas Coordination Group on September 24. The body, chaired by the Commission, brings together national authorities and industry representatives to monitor supply.
In a statement after the talks, the Commission acknowledged “lower storage levels compared to historical levels” but said supply remained stable. It added it would keep monitoring developments closely with member states.
Figures from Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE), which represents storage operators, showed EU facilities were about 70 per cent full on September 23. On September 1 the level stood at 65.4 per cent, the lowest for that date since records began in 2011, per the policy outlet EU Perspectives.
The shortfall follows months of disruption to liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments through the Strait of Hormuz since the Iran war broke out on February 28. State-owned QatarEnergy has kept force majeure on deliveries to European buyers since March.
Brussels loosened its 90 per cent storage obligation earlier this year. In July, the Gas Coordination Group said filling sites to 80 per cent would be enough to secure supply for the winter.
Analysts cited by EU Perspectives have estimated that storage may reach 70 to 75 per cent by the start of the heating season. Wholesale prices on the Dutch TTF benchmark climbed above €80 (about $91) per megawatt hour in mid-September, their highest level in three years, according to ICE data.
The group said that where the conditions set out in EU law were met, supply to so-called protected customers was guaranteed. These are chiefly households and essential services.
The European Network of Transmission System Operators for Gas (ENTSOG) presented initial findings for a winter preparedness report. It is due to be published on October 8, when the group is set to meet again with industry associations.
Speaking in Brussels on September 25, Commission energy spokeswoman Anna-Kaisa Itkonen said the EU executive was ready to consider additional measures if a security of supply problem emerged.
Itkonen said EU energy ministers would discuss the situation with European Commissioner for Energy and Housing Dan Jørgensen at an informal meeting in Dublin on September 28-29. She said high energy prices and how to tackle them would be among the main issues.
The reassurance comes as the Commission presses ahead with plans to phase out Russian gas imports by 2027, a policy adopted in response to the Ukraine war. Brussels has rejected calls, including from Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, to resume Russian energy purchases to shore up supply.
