MOSCOW, April 14. /TASS/. A short-term cold snap in Europe has led to withdrawal from underground storage facilities (UGS) in April being 55% up in comparison with April 2024, , while pumping is almost a quarter lower, according to data from Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE). Filling of UGS facilities in the region's countries with gas has slowed, and the overall level of reserves is 43% lower than it was a year earlier. Meanwhile, LNG imports by Europe in April continue at a record pace.

Gas pumping into UGS facilities in EU countries amounted to 158 mln cubic meters (mcm) on April 12, according to GIE. Withdrawal has increased to 118 mcm. Gas volumes in UGS facilities total 38.3 bln cubic meters (bcm).

The European UGS facilities are currently 35.08% full (11.32 percentage points lower than the average as of this date in the past five years) against 61.2% a year earlier.

The heating season in Europe ended on March 28, and lasted for 151 days, during which EU countries withdraw over 74 bcm of gas from UGS facilities.

The share of wind generation in the EU’s electricity output averaged 17% in March, and it has been 16% this month. The gas purchase price averaged about $467 per 1,000 cubic meters in Europe in March, and around $421 in April.

LNG has been supplied from terminals to Europe’s gas transport system with record rates in April surpassing the record figures of March (12.7 bcm). Facilities for regasification of liquefied gas and its further pumping into Europe’s pipelines are loaded by 57% of their capacity now.