ENTSOG: The EU risks not filling gas storage facilities even by next autumn

BRUSSELS, Oct 9 - RIA Novosti. The European Union risks not restoring the necessary gas reserves even by the fall of 2027, and with a complete cessation of Russian pipeline supplies and limited availability of LNG, storage capacity could reach a record low of 55%, according to the winter forecast of the European Network of Gas Transmission System Operators (ENTSOG), which was reviewed by RIA Novosti.

“In the event of a complete cessation of Russian pipeline supplies ... with limited availability of LNG, the level of storage capacity will be limited to 55%,” the report says.

According to calculations, with a complete cessation of Russian pipeline imports and sufficient supplies of LNG, European storage facilities could be 81% full by the end of September 2027, and with an increase in the availability of liquefied gas - by 88%.

However, under more realistic scenarios of limited LNG supply, this figure drops to 55%, well below the EU target of 90%.

The paper notes that low inventories following the end of the coming winter may limit the ability to restore them in the next injection season. At the same time, even an increase in LNG supplies does not always compensate for the consequences of excessive depletion of storage facilities due to technical restrictions on the injection rate.

As of October 1, 2026, European storage facilities were only 72% full, compared to 83% a year earlier. The study's authors warn that further drawdowns in cold winter conditions could pose additional risks to energy supplies in 2027-2028.

The European Union is consistently reducing purchases of Russian gas, hoping to replace it with LNG supplies and pipeline imports from other countries.