EU injects over 7 billion cubic metres of gas into storage

European Union countries have injected more than 7 billion cubic metres of natural gas into underground storage facilities since the start of the summer refill season in April, according to calculations based on data from Gas Infrastructure Europe.

The volume injected so far represents around 34.5% of total storage capacity, as EU member states race to replenish reserves ahead of the 2026–2027 winter heating season, Caliber.Az reports per Russian media.

Despite the recent increase, gas reserves remain below last year’s levels. As of early May, underground storage facilities across the bloc contained approximately 37.8 billion cubic metres of gas, compared with 41.8 billion cubic metres during the same period in 2025, according to the data.

Under European Commission regulations introduced following the energy crisis triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, EU countries are required to fill gas storage facilities to 90% of capacity between October 1 and December 1 each year. A deviation of up to 10% is allowed under difficult market or supply conditions.

To meet the target for the upcoming winter season, EU member states will need to inject at least 68 billion cubic metres of gas into storage facilities in the coming months. By comparison, approximately 55 billion cubic meters were injected during the same refill period last year.

By Sabina Mammadli