Brussels: The capacity rate of underground gas storage facilities in European Union countries has dropped below 40% for the first time in over three years, APA-Economics reports, citing Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE).
According to Azeri-Press News Agency, the capacity level of storage facilities in EU countries is currently at 39.93%, which is 11.24 percentage points lower than the average for this date over the past five years. Since the start of the heating season on October 29, 2024, EU countries have extracted over 65 billion cubic meters (bcm) from underground gas storage (UGS) facilities.
The total volume of gas in storage facilities is reported to be close to 44.3 billion cubic meters. This significant decrease in gas storage levels highlights the challenges the EU faces in managing its energy reserves during peak demand periods.
It’s noteworthy that since December 31, 2020, Azerbaijan has been transporting gas to Europe through the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), contributing to the region’s energy supply.