Overview
- National storage stands around 23–25%, below the 30% legal benchmark for early February, with sharp regional lows such as Bavaria’s Wolfersberg site near 4%.
- Katherina Reiche told a Bundestag committee the winter supply is secure and state intervention is unnecessary, noting about 60% of storage capacity for next winter is already marketed.
- The ministry is reviewing alternatives to current minimum fill rules and is considering a limited safety buffer, while maintaining that refilling remains a market task.
- The Federal Network Agency echoes supply assurances as wholesale prices hover near €31/MWh, citing a diversified mix led by Norwegian pipeline gas and expanded LNG capacity.
- Industry groups and regulators push for a strategic reserve and clearer summer refilling rules, as experts flag refill risks, capacity limits in Germany, and proposals to use Ukrainian storage, with a 2027 EU curb on Russian LNG seen as a future headwind.