By mid-June 2026, European Union countries had filled their underground gas storage facilities (UGS) to an average of 45.03%, which amounts to approximately 48–49.2 billion cubic meters.
According to data from Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE), this figure lags behind the average for the same period in previous years by approximately 14–14.5 percentage points. The last time the UGS storage fill rate was lower as of today was in 2021, when it stood at 43.03%. In 2022, the UGS storage level was 53.26%; in 2023, 73.19%; in 2024, 73.26%; and in 2025, 53.78%.
According to the European Commission, underground gas storage facilities play a key role in ensuring the reliability of gas supply in Europe, covering up to one-third of the EU’s demand during the winter. The gas storage regulation, adopted in June 2022 to optimize preparations for the winter heating season, set a target for EU countries to fill their underground gas storage facilities to 90% capacity by November 1. To achieve this goal, Europe needs to inject at least another 68 billion cubic meters of gas before the start of the heating season.
The slow replenishment of reserves is due to high prices on the spot market and fierce competition with Asian countries for available liquefied natural gas (LNG) volumes amid instability in the Middle East.
