MOSCOW, April 11. /TASS/. Europe must begin injecting gas into its underground storage (UGS) facilities as soon as possible and ensure sufficiently large supplies of LNG to the region in order to avoid depleting its reserves by next winter, according to a report by the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Gas (ENTSOG).
In order to replenish gas storage in preparation for the upcoming winter, Europe will require a larger volume of LNG compared to last summer, given the levels of reserves at the start of the 2025 summer season, the report said. It is crucial to begin filling the storage facilities as early as possible and any unscheduled technical shutdowns could potentially put additional pressure on the injection season, ENTSOG said.
As of April 1, the level of gas reserves in the EU’s UGS facilities was only 34%, or approximately 35 bln cubic meters, according to ENTSOG’s estimate, which is lower than in the previous two years. The more intensive use of storage during the winter was driven by cold weather, high prices, and the cessation of Russian gas transit through Ukraine.