Germany's natural gas storage facilities fell short of winter filling targets Sunday, standing at 61% capacity against a general requirement of 80%, according to the latest figures.
The industry association Initiative Energien Speichern (INES) warned Sunday that the shortfall was a "serious warning signal" and called for stricter rules to ensure adequate gas reserves ahead of future winters.
"The failure to meet storage level targets demonstrates that the filling of gas storage facilities for future winters must be secured through more binding requirements," INES Managing Director Sebastian Heinermann said in a statement.
"We must now discuss the specific design options for a storage obligation as a matter of urgency, so that it can be promptly enshrined in law," he added.
Under German regulations, most gas storage facilities must reach at least 80% of their capacity by Nov. 1, while six designated sites are subject to a lower threshold of 45%.
The exceptions bring the weighted national average target to approximately 70%.
The six facilities are Bad Lauchstaedt, Frankenthal, Haehnlein, Rehden, Stockstadt and Uelsen, which have slower gas injection and withdrawal rates.
Despite the shortfall, Germany's Economy Ministry sought to ease concerns, saying the country was well prepared for the coming winter.
"According to the current assessment, it can be assumed that Germany will get through the winter well," a ministry spokeswoman told German news agency DPA.
She said supply security depended not only on storage levels but also on actual gas withdrawals, continuing imports and additional precautionary measures.
The lower storage levels come amid weaker market incentives to fill storage this year.
Gas traders typically purchase supplies during the summer, when prices are lower, and sell them during winter as demand rises.
However, relatively high prices this year have reduced incentives to replenish storage facilities.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has also disrupted maritime shipments, restricting oil and gas cargoes through one of the world's busiest energy corridors.
Despite concerns, German officials said the country was not facing a supply crisis comparable to the one following the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022.
Before the war, Russia supplied nearly 55% of Germany's natural gas.
Germany has since replaced most Russian gas supplies with imports from Norway, Belgium and France, alongside liquefied natural gas shipments, mainly from the US.
