MOSCOW, March 6. /TASS/. Gas reserves in Europe’s underground gas storage (UGS) facilities have fallen to around 37% for the first time in more than three years, while withdrawal rates in March have been almost two times higher than last year, according to data provided by Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE). Net withdrawal from European UGS facilities since the beginning of the heating season has reached around 64.5 bln cubic meters (bcm) from.
Gas withdrawal from UGS facilities in EU countries amounted to 393 mln cubic meters (mcm) on March 4, according to GIE. Pumping has risen to 37 mcm. Gas volumes in UGS facilities total 41.4 bcm, which is the seventh-highest level for early March since records started.
European UGS facilities are currently 37.32% full (11.44 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 The heating season in Europe started on October 29, 2024, with EU countries having withdrawn over 68 bcm of gas from UGS facilities since then.
The share of wind generation in the EU’s electricity output averaged 13% in February, and it has been at around 19% in early March. The gas purchase price averaged $518 per 1,000 cubic meters in Europe in January, and $542 in February.
LNG supplies from terminals to Europe’s gas transport system were at a record level last month. Facilities for regasification of liquefied gas and its further pumping into Europe’s pipelines are loaded by 53% of their capacity now.