Germany Faces Possible Gas Shortfalls This Winter as Storage Sits Low

In brief

• German gas storage operators warn of possible supply gaps if the winter 2026-27 turns extremely cold.
• INES reports storage was only 61 percent full, a historically low level.
• Modelled shortfall could reach 6.6 TWh per month in January to March 2027, and 1.7 TWh on the coldest January days.

Storage levels at a historic low

The Initiative Energien Speichern (INES), a German industry association for energy storage, says gas storage facilities in Germany were only 61 percent full in the most recent reading, a historically low level (Gas: Betreiber von Speichern warnen vor Engpässen bei extremer Kälte – DER SPIEGEL). The warning comes as gas prices have already risen sharply.

Modelled shortfall for winter 2026-27

According to new model calculations by INES, Germany could be short of up to 6.6 terawatt hours of natural gas per month in January, February and March 2027 if the winter is extremely cold. The association says that is roughly equal to the gas consumption of one and a half winter days in Germany.

On individual January days, the gap could reach 1.7 terawatt hours under extreme temperatures, about 40 percent of average daily consumption in January 2026.

Key figures

| Scenario | Maximum monthly gap (TWh) | |---|---| | Extremely cold winter, January 2027 | 6.6 | | Extremely cold winter, February 2027 | 6.6 | | Extremely cold winter, March 2027 | 6.6 | | Single coldest January day | 1.7 |

Context for consumers

The warning concerns the possibility of shortages during an extreme cold spell rather than a forecast of normal winter conditions. Earlier reporting on the issue said Germany could run short of gas this winter, based on the storage operators' assessment (W Niemczech tej zimy może zabraknąć gazu – Bankier.pl). The modelled gap depends on temperatures staying at extreme lows for an extended period.