Germany’s Economic Affairs and Energy Ministry moved Friday to calm concerns over the country’s unusually low natural gas storage levels, saying it is monitoring the situation closely and preparing contingency measures should supply risks grow.
“We are monitoring the filling levels of the gas storage facilities very closely,” the ministry said in a statement on social media. It is also preparing “the necessary options for action so that they can be used quickly and in a targeted manner if the situation worsens.”
German storage sites stood at 50.19% full as of Friday – well below levels typical for this point in the refill season and beneath the European average of 61.82%. Opposition parties have warned that Europe’s largest economy could face tighter supplies if winter proves severe or if disruptions occur in the months ahead.
The ministry acknowledged the shortfall. “Storage levels in Germany are currently significantly lower than in previous years. We take this very seriously,” it said. Yet it maintained that “based on current information, a gas shortage is not expected this coming winter.”
Officials urged against focusing on any single number. “Security of supply does not depend on a single percentage,” the ministry said, noting that Germany is now “more broadly positioned than at the beginning of the energy crisis.” What matters, it argued, is “the interaction of storage, pipeline imports, LNG, infrastructure and demand.”
At the same time, the government signaled it stands ready to step in if conditions deteriorate. “If key risk factors for security of supply worsen significantly, the state can and will respond,” the ministry said.
It argued, however, that primary responsibility still rests with the market. “As a matter of principle, winter preparedness is the task of gas companies and traders,” the statement said. Those firms have delivery obligations to municipal utilities, industry and other customers and “must ensure that they have the necessary quantities available even in winter.”
The ministry also cautioned against premature state purchases. “A hasty state intervention is not a risk-free instrument,” it said. “Government gas purchases can drive up prices and weaken the market’s preparedness.” Any intervention, it added, must be carefully weighed, with winter readiness remaining first and foremost a market task.
