Table of contents
- Gas imports: Where the natural gas for Germany comes from
- Gas storage: filling levels in Germany
- Gas consumption in Germany
Energy supply - Another LNG terminal handed over: However, the share of liquefied natural gas in imports is currently still so low
Liquefied natural gas, or LNG for short, was intended to make a significant contribution to securing Germany's energy supply following the outbreak of war in Ukraine and the cut-off of Russian gas supplies. Three LNG terminals have been commissioned since the end of 2022, and the jetty for a fourth was handed over to the operator this Saturday in Stade, Lower Saxony. It is scheduled to go into operation in 2024, with two more to follow in the same year. However, the share of LNG in German gas imports is still low, most recently at less than ten percent. However, the capacities of the terminals have not yet been fully utilized. The chart below on gas imports shows where Germany currently sources most of its natural gas.
Gas imports: Where the natural gas for Germany comes from
"The gas flows to Germany are stable and balanced," writes the Federal Network Agency. The largest quantities of natural gas are now imported to Germany from Norway, Belgium and the Netherlands. LNG deliveries currently account for less than ten percent of the total import portfolio.
Gas storage: filling levels in Germany
Overall, the forecast for the winter is still positive, as the industry association Ines (Initiative Energien Speichern) announced when presenting its new forecasts in Berlin: "Although gas shortages still cannot be completely ruled out, they are less likely to occur," it said. The Federal Network Agency's situation report is also largely optimistic, after the early and cold onset of winter led to a rather critical assessment of the temperature forecast.
The storage levels are in the green zone, as shown in the infographic below. By law, storage facilities in Germany must be 85 percent full on October 1, 95 percent full on November 1 (marked in the chart) and still 40 percent full on February 1. The 100 percent mark was reached in November, with the fill levels falling recently in line with the increased gas demand.
Gas consumption in Germany
Both commercial and private gas consumption at the beginning of December was above the average of recent years due to the extremely cold temperatures and the resulting increase in demand for heating, as the chart below shows. However, the Federal Network Agency's forecast for gas consumption was recently critical, even when adjusted for temperature, as not enough gas was being saved.
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The Federal Network Agency reported that natural gas imports from Norway, Belgium, and the Netherlands make up the largest quantities for Germany, with LNG deliveries accounting for less than ten percent. To ensure energy supply during the war in Ukraine and the subsequent cut-off of Russian gas supplies, Germany has commissioned four LNG terminals, with the fourth set to operate in Stade, Lower Saxony, in 2024. Despite having yet to fully utilize the capacities of these terminals, natural gas storage facilities in Germany are currently maintaining adequate levels, as required by law on October 1 and November 1, and falling slightly in line with increased gas demand.
Source: www.stern.de
