Europe’s natural gas storage facilities are operating at a tighter capacity than normal as the winter season advances. According to AGSI’s (Aggregated Gas Storage Inventory) data, the average EU gas inventory stood at 63.2 per cent in late December, a figure that falls short of last year’s record highs.
Central and Eastern European countries show clear differences in this regard. Poland is the regional leader, with its storage facilities at almost 85 per cent capacity, thanks to deliberate diversification and the active use of Baltic Sea terminals. Romania also maintains a stable position at nearly 75 per cent, and Czechia’s storage levels stand at a bit above 70 per cent.
In Bulgaria, where the expansion of the Chiren facility is still ongoing, storage levels are currently standing at almost 70 per cent. Hungary’s gas reserves stood at 60 per cent on 29 December. Although this is below the EU average, Hungary’s storage capacity relative to its annual consumption is relatively large by European standards.
In contrast, levels are lower in Latvia, with less than 50 per cent, due to intensive winter withdrawals, and in Croatia, which stands at 41 per cent. The situation remains most critical in Ukraine, where storage is at 25.3 per cent following war-related damages and the expiry of transit agreements. Ukraine continues to rely heavily on reverse-flow deliveries from the EU.
According to the International Energy Agency‘s World Energy Outlook 2025, natural gas demand is projected to decline significantly in Europe as the region pursues its 2030 climate targets and seeks to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels. An easing of natural gas market balances is on the horizon as new projects for liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports come online. Around 300 billion cubic metres of new annual LNG export capacity are scheduled to start operation by 2030, which will mean a 50 per cent increase in available global LNG supply.