Gas storage in Germany: Current status and winter warning!

Gas storage in Germany: Current status and winter warning!

What is currently happening in the German gas storage facilities? An exciting question that will concern us on September 20, 2025. The filling levels are currently showing a positive development: the filling level of the gas storage facilities is now 75.99%. Compared to the previous day, this corresponds to an increase of 0.13%. Just a month ago, the level was at 70.65%, showing a steady increase since the beginning of the month, when storage capacities were only 39.65%. These facts are no coincidence, as the low filling level in the largest gas storage facility in Rehden, which is only at 2%, is not interpreted by the federal government as worrying, which speaks for the stability of the gas supply. Allgäuer Zeitung reports that Germany ranks fourth in global storage capacity and has around 23 billion cubic meters of gas storage capacity.

What does the future of gas supply look like? According to the Gas Storage Level Ordinance, which was presented by the Federal Ministry of Economics, the legal requirements for the filling levels of gas storage systems should be adjusted. From November 1st, the filling level for cavern storage will be reduced from 90% to 80%, while the specifications for southern German pore storage will remain at 80%. For other pore storage the requirement is reduced to 45%. These adjustments are intended to give market players clarity for next winter and are part of the strategy to stabilize the gas supply situation in Germany. [Federal Ministry of Economics](https://www.bundeswirtschaftsministerium.de/Redaktion/DE/PRESS releases/2025/20250430-Fuellstandsvorbaren-fuer-Gasspeicheranlagen.html) shows that measures such as the expansion of LNG terminals and increased pipeline imports from Norway also help to cover gas demand.

Gas consumption and storage capacities

As for gas consumption, it has increased in recent years. In 2024, total consumption was around 844 TWh, representing an increase of 3.5% compared to 2023. However, with 39% of use in households and businesses and 61% in industry, the largest share of consumption occurs in the winter months, which affects the filling levels of gas storage facilities. NDR lets us know that higher gas consumption is observed in winter, while significantly less energy is required in summer. These fluctuations are of great importance when planning and filling gas storage facilities.

It is also interesting that the filling level in 2025 is around 7 percentage points below the average for the years 2017 to 2021. The basis for this is the colder winter and the high gas consumption in the industry. Storage capacities must also be adapted to increasing requirements and growing energy awareness, with the aim of 80% of Germany's electricity needs coming from renewable sources by 2030.

Outlook and stability

What's next? The throttling of the filling level specifications and the expansion of renewable energies point to a long-term strategy that is intended to secure the energy supply. The federal government is optimistic: thanks to diversified gas imports and stable gas storage levels, security of supply in Germany is guaranteed. It will be exciting to see how the situation will develop in the coming weeks and months.