with gas reserves 95% full, Germany says it has reached its target

The goal is reached earlier than expected for Germany. The government assured on Friday October 14 that it had reached its objective of filling the country’s gas reserves, despite the total cessation of Russian deliveries via Nord Stream in early September. “Reserves today exceeded the 95% mark. They stand at 95.14%”, welcomed the German Minister of Economy, Robert Habeck, in a press release.

Germany was more than 55% dependent on Russian gas supplies before the war in Ukraine. Faced with the risk of shortages, Berlin had, at the beginning of July, set itself the objective of reaching 95% filling on November 1.

To do this, the government has adopted a series of measures, including increased use of coal, a reduction in the consumption of public buildings and incentives for businesses. The government of Olaf Scholz has also released an exceptional envelope of 1.5 billion euros to buy liquefied natural gas in order to ensure its supply.

Gas deliveries from Norway or the United States, via Belgium and the Netherlands, have thus increased considerably. In addition, France began Thursday to send gas directly to Germany, which is a first.