The EU, as a bloc, has already achieved its objective of filling at least 80% of its underground gas storage capacity, according to data from Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE), the federation of gas infrastructure operators in Europe.
In June, the 27 ratified an agreement to increase winter gas storage to at least 80% of the capacity of existing underground storage facilities in each Member State by 1 November this year, and 90 % in subsequent years.
The EU wants its stockpiles to be at least 85% full for this winter.
According to data from the GIE, storage facilities were already 80.17% full as of Monday, with several countries, including Belgium (88.47%), easily exceeding this target.
Nine EU countries do not have their own storage infrastructure. Five others – Germany, Italy, France, the Netherlands and Austria – offset this by hosting two-thirds of the total European capacity.
Belgium has a single underground storage site, for a total capacity of 9 terawatt/hour. Located in Loenhout, Antwerp Province, it is managed by the independent energy infrastructure group Fluxys.
Current storage is equivalent to approximately 4% of annual consumption.
