Gas Savings in Europe Will be “Crucial” to Get Through Winter, Warns IEA

Gas saving measures in Europe will be "crucial" this winter to keep stocks at sufficient levels.

Share:

Comprehensive energy news coverage, updated nonstop

Annual subscription

8.25€/month*

*billed annually at 99€/year for the first year then 149,00€/year ​

Unlimited access • Archives included • Professional invoice

OTHER ACCESS OPTIONS

Monthly subscription

Unlimited access • Archives included

5.2€/month*
then 14.90€ per month thereafter

FREE ACCOUNT

3 articles offered per month

FREE

*Prices are excluding VAT, which may vary depending on your location or professional status

Since 2021: 35,000 articles • 150+ analyses per week

Gas saving measures in Europe will be “crucial” this winter to keep stocks at sufficient levels in the event of a total cut-off of Russian gas and a “late cold snap”, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said Monday in its quarterly report.

The drying up of Russian gas, in response to the sanctions imposed on Moscow since the invasion of Ukraine, has caused prices on world markets to soar and led Europeans to seek supplies from other sources, importing massive amounts of liquefied natural gas (LNG), particularly from the United States,
and Norwegian gas.

Thanks to this diversification strategy, “gas stocks were almost 90% full at the end of September,” said the Paris-based IEA, while warning Europe about the consequences, as early as this winter and next year, of a possible total cut-off of Russian gas.

In its report, the agency established winter projections for these stocks “assuming a complete shutdown of Russian supplies from November 1” and depending on LNG supplies, a resource that is now the subject of “global competition”.

“Without a reduction in gas demand and if Russian supply is completely cut off, storage would be less than 20% full in February, assuming a high level of LNG supply” and “close to 5% full in the event of low LNG supply,” the IEA warns.

A melting of stocks at such levels “would increase the risk of supply disruption in the event of a late cold snap”, insists the OECD energy agency in its statement.

To avert this scenario, the IEA therefore believes that Europe will need to observe “crucial” conservation measures to “maintain stocks at adequate levels until the end of the heating season”.

According to its projections, a reduction during the winter in European gas demand of around 9% compared to the average of the last five years, “would be necessary to maintain these stock levels above 25%” in case of lower LNG inflows. And this demand would have to fall by 13% compared to this five-year average “to maintain storage levels above 33%”, in case of low LNG supplies.

Sudan seeks partnership with Belarus to rehabilitate its energy grid amid prolonged humanitarian, economic and logistical crisis.
The Malaysian group launched three tenders to sell up to five liquefied natural gas cargoes in November and December, sourced from its Bintulu and PFLNG Dua facilities.
The South African government ends a thirteen-year freeze on shale gas, paving the way for renewed exploration in the Karoo Basin amid a national energy crisis.
Platts' physical pricing platform records its second-highest LNG trading volume, with nearly 1.5 million tonnes exchanged despite regional demand slowdown.
Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder supported the Nord Stream 2 pipeline before an inquiry, dismissing criticism over his role and Russian funding linked to the project.
Daily winter demand spikes are pushing Britain’s gas system to rely more on liquefied natural gas and fast-cycle storage, as domestic production and Norwegian imports reach seasonal plateaus with no room for short-term increases.
Rising terminal capacity and sustained global demand, notably from China and Europe, are driving U.S. ethane exports despite new regulatory uncertainties.
The United States has called on Japan to stop importing Russian gas, amid rising tensions over conflicting economic interests between allies in response to the indirect financing of the war in Ukraine.
Australian group Santos lowers its annual production forecast after an unplanned shutdown at the Barossa project and delayed recovery in the Cooper Basin.
VoltaGrid partners with Oracle to deploy modular gas-powered infrastructure designed to stabilise energy use in artificial intelligence data centres while creating hundreds of jobs in Texas.
GTT, Bloom Energy and Ponant Explorations Group launch a joint project to integrate LNG-powered fuel cells and a CO₂ capture system on a cruise ship scheduled for 2030.
Storengy has launched its 2025/2026 campaign to sell gas storage capacity over four years, targeting the commercialisation of nearly 100 TWh by 2030, with over 27 TWh available starting in 2026-27.
The US government has withdrawn its proposal to suspend liquefied natural gas export licences for failure to comply with maritime requirements, while maintaining a phased implementation schedule.
Soaring electricity demand in Batam, driven by new data centres, leads INNIO and MPower Daya Energia to secure 80 MW and launch a five-year maintenance programme.
Tamboran has completed a three-well drilling campaign in the Beetaloo Sub-basin, with 12,000 metres of horizontal sections prepared for stimulation and maintenance ahead of the commercial phase.
Valeura Energy partners with Transatlantic Petroleum to restart gas exploration in the Thrace basin, with testing and drilling planned this quarter in deep formations.
Calpine Corporation has finalised a public funding agreement to accelerate the construction of a peaking power plant in Freestone County, strengthening Texas’s grid response capacity during peak demand periods.
Naftogaz urges the European Union to use Ukraine’s gas storage capacity as part of a strategic reserve system, while calling for the end of storage filling obligations after 2027.
Spanish gas infrastructure operator Enagás is in advanced talks to acquire the 32% stake held by Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC in Terega, valued at around €600mn ($633mn), according to sources familiar with the matter.
BP has awarded Valaris a $140mn drilling contract for a Mediterranean offshore campaign aimed at reinforcing Egypt’s declining gas output since 2021.

All the latest energy news, all the time

Annual subscription

8.25€/month*

*billed annually at 99€/year for the first year then 149,00€/year ​

Unlimited access - Archives included - Pro invoice

Monthly subscription

Unlimited access • Archives included

5.2€/month*
then 14.90€ per month thereafter

*Prices shown are exclusive of VAT, which may vary according to your location or professional status.

Since 2021: 30,000 articles - +150 analyses/week.