MOSCOW, February 10. /TASS/. Gas reserves in Europe’s underground gas storage (UGS) facilities have fallen to 49%, while withdrawal rates in February are almost 60% higher than last year, according to data provided by Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE). Meanwhile total gas volumes in UGS facilities are still at their fourth-highest level for early February since records started. Europe has withdrawn over 54 bln cubic meters (bcm) from UGS facilities since the beginning of the heating season.
Gas withdrawal from UGS facilities in EU countries amounted to 477 mln cubic meters (mcm) on February 8, according to GIE. Pumping has risen to 25 mcm. Gas volumes in UGS facilities total 54.4 bcm, which is the fourth-highest level for the beginning of February since records started.
European UGS facilities are currently 49.02% full (8.12 percentage points lower than the average as of this date in the past five years). The heating season in Europe started on October 29, 2024, with EU countries having withdrawn over 54 bcm of gas from UGS facilities since then.
The share of wind generation in the EU’s electricity output averaged 21% in January, and around 13% on first days of February. The gas purchase price averaged $489 per 1,000 cubic meters in Europe in December, about $518 in January, and $577 in early February.
LNG supplies from terminals to Europe’s gas transport system have been at a record level in February. Facilities for regasification of liquefied gas and its further pumping into Europe’s pipelines are loaded by 58% of their capacity now.