Tertius News is an AI-native newsroom: an AI model reads the source articles linked below — on this story, all of them from one outlet — and extracts what that outlet reported, claim by claim. How this works →

Gas reserves in European storage facilities reach 47%

European underground gas storage facilities are at their lowest levels for this time of year in at least five years, with injections slowing amid extreme heat and competition with Asia for LNG. Gazprom warns reserves may not reach 75% before winter, while EU targets remain at 90% capacity.

By Tertius News AI Desk 1 outlet · 13 articles Version 1 Coverage Jun 23 – Jul 21, 2026 Published Aug 15

Lead

Europe's underground gas storage facilities are currently filled to about 47% capacity, according to data from Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE) cited by TASS. The figure marks the lowest level for this time of year in the past five years, as the pace of injections has slowed amid extreme heat and heightened competition with Asia for liquefied natural gas (LNG) volumes.

Coverage Comparison

Reporting from TASS, based on GIE data, has tracked storage levels across the summer. On June 23, storage facilities were 46.72% full, and by June 24 they had risen to 47%. By the end of June, levels reached 49.09%, a five-year low for that date. Early July saw levels dip to 49.22% on July 1, before climbing to 50.03% on July 6, 50.63% on July 8, and 52.49% on July 15. By July 17, storage had reached 53%, and by July 19, 54%, though the gap compared with the previous year continued to widen.

The reports consistently note that current storage levels are well below the five-year average for each corresponding date. For example, on July 19, storage was 54% full, 15.52 percentage points below the five-year average, according to Gazprom, citing GIE data. At the end of June, levels were 14.77 percentage points below the average for that date.

Key Claims

Injection slowdown: The pace of gas injections into European storage facilities slowed in June and early July, with net injections by EU countries at their lowest for the respective periods in six years. In June, injections fell by 19% year-on-year, and on July 1, net injections were the lowest for that date in six years.

LNG imports decline: Daily LNG imports into Europe fell to their lowest level in more than 1.5 years by the end of June 2026, reaching just 275 million cubic meters on June 21. In early July, imports hit a 22-month low, with a 34% drop compared with the same period a year earlier.

Withdrawals at historic high: Gas withdrawals from European storage facilities in early July were the fastest for that month in six years, 31% higher than in the same period in 2025. The volume withdrawn ranked as the third-highest for July on record.

Storage gap with 2025: The gap between current storage levels and those of the same period last year widened to 11 billion cubic meters as of July 19, according to Gazprom. European UGS volumes were 16.8% lower than on the same date in 2025.

EU storage targets: The European Commission requires EU member states to fill their gas storage facilities to 90% capacity between October 1 and December 1 each year, with a 10% flexibility margin allowed under difficult conditions. To meet this target, net injections into European storage facilities must reach at least 68 billion cubic meters by the start of the 2026-2027 autumn-winter season.

Projections for winter: Gazprom has forecast that gas reserves in European underground storage may fail to reach even 70% by the next heating season, with a later projection suggesting levels could fall below 75% by October 1 if injection continues at the current pace.

Perspectives

Gazprom

The Russian energy company has repeatedly drawn attention to what it calls "very low" gas storage levels in Europe. In a July 21 statement, Gazprom said the gap in gas stocks had widened to 11 billion cubic meters as of July 19, and noted that gas prices on the European market remain unfavorable for replenishing stocks, with month-ahead delivery prices at the Dutch TTF hub higher than prices for the upcoming winter. Gazprom has also warned that insufficient reserves could create significant risks for the reliable supply of gas to European consumers this winter.

European Commission

The European Commission has set binding targets for member states to fill storage facilities to 90% capacity during a defined period each year, underscoring the bloc's priority on securing adequate gas reserves ahead of winter.