European Union gas storage stood at 74.6% on Oct. 20, and the European Commission said Wednesday the bloc had no current security-of-supply issue, even as it warned of a difficult winter.
Gas Infrastructure Europe reported the EU-wide reading. EU storage was at 74.1% on Oct. 16, EconoTimes previously reported. Commission spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen said inventories remained below their historical average.
Storage was 72% full on Oct. 1, compared with 83% a year earlier, the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Gas (ENTSOG) said in an Oct. 8 winter outlook.
ENT SOG said existing infrastructure could accommodate more liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports if enough supplies were secured. Its outlook identified reduced Middle Eastern LNG supplies and shipping disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz as pressures on the global market.
Itkonen said the Commission was meeting member countries more often to review their gas stocks. She described the winter ahead as difficult and said the Middle East crisis was affecting energy prices and storage levels.
The ENTSOG outlook warned that limited LNG supplies could leave some regions facing greater supply challenges and affect demand sensitive to price. Its assessment makes the availability of additional imports a condition of the winter supply outlook.
EU rules give countries with storage from Oct. 1 through Dec. 1 to meet a 90% filling target. Difficult conditions can allow up to 10 percentage points of flexibility. The EU-wide 74.6% figure does not show whether each country has met its obligation.
Itkonen said EU law has no provision for strategic gas stocks. Some European countries maintain reserves under national rules, according to ENTSOG. She said ministers may discuss the possibility of strategic gas reserves at their next meeting, though the Council presidency sets the agenda. The storage target window closes Dec. 1.
