European Union (EU) countries beat the winter with record gas reserves in underground storage facilities (UGS) – more than 60% full at the beginning of March, which is double the same month in 2022. In this respect Wrote Agency RIA Novosti, with reference to information from the press service of the European Association of Gas Infrastructure Operators (European Gas Infrastructure, GIE).
According to gas day data on 1 March (ends at 8:00 Moscow time on 2 March), the total UGS occupancy level in the EU amounted to 60.64% (approximately 66.1 bcm).
The figure was double that of 2022. During the 2021-2022 heating season, the level dropped below 60% by mid-December 2021.
In the GIE press service in the second half of February reportedIt is reported that natural gas withdrawn from European UGSFs has reached the lowest level since 2012. At that time, the total fuel reserves in EU countries fell below the 70 billion cubic meters limit.
At the end of February, the Eurostat press service published According to the data, the gas consumption volume of EU countries decreased by 19.3% in the period of August 2022 – January 2023 compared to the average of the same period of the last five years.