The EU has met its goal of filling its gas storage by at least 80% “well before” the November deadline, despite ongoing disruptions in gas supplies from Russia, the EU’s top energy official Kadri Simson said on Wednesday.

In May, the EU set a gas storage target in response to cuts in Russian gas supplies and amid the ongoing energy crisis. The goal was at least 80% by November 1, 2022, and at least 90% by November 1 in subsequent years to have enough gas to survive the winter. Not all EU countries have underground storage facilities. But of those that did, 10 have already exceeded the 80% target, according to Euractiv, cited by Rador.

Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden exceeded 80%, although it must be said that their storage volume is very different.

Six other countries – Austria, Croatia, Hungary, the Netherlands, Romania and Slovakia – met their interim target on 1 September and are on track to reach the 80% target also on time. (…) And in Austria, despite the reduction of supplies from Russia, tanks continued to be filled last week, the relevant ministry reported on Twitter.

National inventories rose from 61.9% to 65.2% between August 20 and 27, surpassing the interim target of 60% on September 1 and on track to reach the interim target of 70% on October 1.

Hungary’s Secretary of State for Communications and International Relations, Zoltan Kovacs, announced on Twitter on Tuesday that the country had exceeded its target.

In addition, Budapest also signed a contract with the Russian company Gazprom to receive up to 5.8 million cubic meters per day in addition to the already contracted volume. (…) However, Simson hinted that some countries are experiencing difficulties in achieving their goal. If at the level of the entire EU on August 31, the gas reserve was 80.17% of capacity, Bulgaria and Latvia did not reach their intermediate goal on September 1.

Bulgaria is just short of the target, but Latvia is 10% below the September 1st target and still needs to recover 25% to reach 80% on November 1st.

To reach the storage target and see the EU through this and next winter, the bloc agreed on a plan to reduce gas consumption at the end of July.

The plan calls for a 15% reduction in consumption between August 2022 and March 2023, a target that will become binding only if the situation worsens.

Read also: The European Commission is considering options for limiting energy prices and reducing electricity demand

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