Germany misses gas storage target but has more supply options, Berlin says

Germany's gas storage levels ​are at 62%, below its ​target of 70%, but ‌it has ​more options now to acquire supplies from LNG terminals and from Norway via pipelines ‌than in 2022 after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, an official said on Friday. Governments across Europe are grappling with how to shield consumers ‌from rising energy costs and higher inflation as the wars ‌in Iran, Ukraine and Yemen send oil and natural gas prices soaring.

"Certainly, a higher fill level would have been preferable, but there are reasons why ⁠these ​storage targets were ⁠not met, reasons linked to the conflicts in the Strait of Hormuz ⁠and the subsequent price increases," said a spokesperson for the German economy and ​energy ministry. "However, one should not look solely at gas ⁠storage levels. Unlike in 2022, when the state of gas storage was critical, ⁠we now ​have entirely different ways to access additional gas," the spokesperson told a regular briefing.

The spokesperson also reiterated Berlin's ⁠rejection of accusations from Italy that Germany failed to fill its gas stores ⁠ahead of ⁠winter in order to reduce costs for its gas import companies to prepare them for privatisation.