Ministry insists gas supply is secure as Germany misses storage target

German natural gas storage facilities are currently only around 61.2% full, according to figures from the European AGSI platform published on Saturday that indicate the country has fallen well short of its target.

Average storage levels were supposed to reach 70% by Sunday.

"Germany's gas supply is secure for the coming winter, even with the current storage levels," a spokeswoman for Economy Minister Katherina Reiche said.

"Based on the current assessment, we expect Germany to get through the winter in good shape. Security of supply depends not only on storage levels, but also on actual gas withdrawals, ongoing gas imports and additional precautionary measures," the spokeswoman said.

The Federal Network Agency also said that the country's gas supply remained stable. "Security of supply is guaranteed. Based on the information currently available, the Federal Network Agency continues to consider the risk of stressed gas supply to be low," it said.

Sebastian Heinermann, managing director of the Initiative Energien Speichern (Energy Storage Initiative), an association that speaks for the sector, described the failure to meet storage targets as a "serious warning."

"Germany is entering the heating season with smaller safety reserves. This increases the vulnerability of the gas supply, particularly in the event of exceptionally low temperatures or additional disruptions to gas imports," Heinermann said.