Gas storage facilities in Germany could theoretically run dry by February 2025 if the worst-case scenario has happened - extreme cold and delays in liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies, warned the Association of German Energy Sector Representatives INES.
Experts described three hypothetical scenarios. The first two assume the usual winter temperatures for Germany - as a result, gas storages will be filled by 35-69%, as experts suggest. The third scenario takes into account “extremely low temperatures”, in which case the warehouses will be empty by February next year.
„As in the last 2 years, extremely low temperatures can create problems for gas supplies”, said the head of the association Sebastian Heinermann.
Germany is gradually switching to renewable energy sources, abandoning coal-fired power plants and has already turned off nuclear power plants. The country plans to achieve full climate neutrality by 2045. Initially, the transition period relies on Russian energy resources, mainly gas. Germany began to refuse supplies of resources from the Russian Federation after the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine.
At the moment, Germany does not receive gas via the "Nord Stream" - both gas pipelines were damaged in 2022 as a result of sabotage in the Baltic Sea, one of them was not previously certified by the German side. In the current situation, the German government relies on the construction of terminals to receive LNG.