EU gas reserves at 72% as of October 1, a historic low, with concerns over LNG supply and winter preparedness.
EU gas reserves at historic low
As of October 1, the European Union’s underground gas storage was filled to 72 percent, the lowest level recorded historically. This follows a challenging injection season, with storage levels dropping nearly 11 percentage points compared to the same period last year, when reserves reached approximately 83 percent. Global gas prices remain high and volatile
Gas prices globally remain elevated and fluctuating, with notable differences between EU member states. France had about 85 percent of its storage filled as of October 1, while Germany reached only 59 percent. These figures reflect each country’s storage capacity and do not necessarily indicate the level of supply security, which also depends on consumption, imports, and interconnections. Eastern Europe faces LNG challenges
Entsog has raised concerns about countries in Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe, which may struggle to secure enough liquefied natural gas (LNG). These nations rely heavily on a flexible system based on LNG, and their ability to meet demand could be affected by the availability of LNG shipments and global market conditions. LNG terminals offer regasification capacity
Europe’s LNG terminals have a regasification capacity of about 1,600 terawatt-hours (TWh) per winter, or nearly 145 billion cubic meters. However, this is a technical maximum, not a guaranteed import volume, and depends on the availability of LNG cargoes and their ability to reach requesting countries. Winter 2025-2026 saw lower stock coverage
During the winter of 2025-2026, gas stocks covered about 26 percent of EU consumption, compared to nearly 30 percent the previous winter. To compensate for lower reserves, Europe relies on LNG terminals, but the actual import volume depends on global market conditions and geopolitical factors, such as the war in the Middle East. Extreme scenarios test EU’s gas reserves
In a reference winter with abundant LNG, EU gas reserves could reach 29 percent by the end of March 2027. However, if LNG availability is limited, reserves could fall to 13 percent. Maintaining a 30 percent reserve level would require importing about 1,060 TWh of LNG, or nearly 96 billion cubic meters, assuming minimal gas pipeline deliveries from Russia. Low reserves risk limiting summer injections
A cold winter combined with the stoppage of Russian pipeline gas could reduce reserves to 11 percent, the lowest level corresponding to strategic reserves. This could necessitate demand reductions and pose challenges beyond the heating season, as very low reserves at the end of winter could limit the rebuilding of reserves during the following summer. EU gas reserves expected to remain low
With constrained LNG availability, EU gas reserves would only reach 65 percent by the end of September 2027, according to the report. Gas Infrastructure Europe also warns that the margin for maneuver will be narrower this winter, as the 2026 edition includes new stress tests, such as the loss of a major offshore infrastructure and the cessation of Algerian imports, assuming the absence of Russian pipeline gas.
