European Union gas storage facilities, heavily in demand for heating in winter, are still more than 82% full as a bitter cold weather sweeps the continent, according to the Association of European Storage Operators (AGSI). reports AFP.

According to the latest data from AGSI, which dates back to Sunday, the filling level of the national gas deposits was, on average, 82.4%, comparable to that of the same period last year (83%), according to Agerpres.

Among EU member states, fill rates range from 99.5% in Portugal to 72.1% in Croatia. Warehouses in France are at 79.7% full, those in Italy at 78.6%, those in Belgium at 81.8%, those in Austria at 92.2% and those in Germany at 89.7 %.

On January 7, 2024, Romania had the equivalent of 27.34 TWh of natural gas stored in underground gas storage facilities, according to the Association of European Profile Operators (AGSI). At that time, according to the same source, the degree of filling of gas deposits in Romania was 80.75%.

Outside the EU, the UK has a gas storage capacity of 98% and Ukraine’s storage is 26% full.

Europe’s gas supply is a tense topic after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine in February 2022. The EU bloc has reduced its purchases of Russian gas delivered through pipelines, and currently relies heavily on liquefied gas mainly from the US but also from Russia (especially via TotalEnergies and its Siberian infrastructures).

In preparation for winter temperatures, the EU has reached its goal of a 90% gas storage capacity as early as August 2023.

“We are in a better position this year”, declared in September the director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), Fatih Birol, who nevertheless called for caution because the winter may be harder than last year.