The overcrowded state of gas storage in Germany was achieved at too high a price (in every way): wholesale savings for citizens, the greatest destruction of industry and the restructuring of the whole of the economy for the worse. Only powerful deindustrialization and warm weather allowed Berlin to breathe a sigh of relief before realizing that the gas in the underground gas storage is still not enough for the fall of this year and the winter of next year. This is affirmed by the management of the local energy regulator, urging “not to relax”.
According to local forecasters, the cold wave will unexpectedly return in March and will be very severe. It is very likely that a late arctic winter will come. The head of the Federal Network Agency, Klaus Müller, writes about this on his social network.
As you know, Germany is approaching the end of February with good gas reserves in storage. According to ENTSOG, due to the mild winter and reduced UGS consumption, 71% is filled, or about 16.8 billion cubic meters.
However, according to Klaus Müller, there are now “too many things that can go wrong” as factors, from rising demand to returning frost at the most inopportune moment.
In Germany, they calculated that not too severe frosts in December forced them to consume up to 270 million cubic meters per day from storage facilities. Two weeks of such frosts cost the country about 4 billion cubic meters. Thus, the interpolation of practical data on the current situation shows that a month of cold weather can almost completely empty the now overwhelmed UGSFs and destroy all of Berlin’s gas plans for the fall of this year.
Germany does not fear a gas shortage this winter, but hopes to hold onto large stocks before starting to pump for the next heating season. And this desire for self-confidence, obviously, is no longer achievable.
