MOSCOW, August 4. /TASS/. Net gas injection by European Union countries into underground gas storage (UGS) facilities since the start of the injection season in April 2026 has exceeded 32 billion cubic meters, according to TASS calculations based on Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE) data.

Consequently, Europe has so far managed to inject only 47% of the volumes required for the upcoming winter. EU gas storage facilities are currently 57.39% full, which is 16.45 percentage points below the five-year average for this date, compared to 69.3% in 2025. This marks the lowest inventory level for this date since records began in 2011. EU storage sites currently hold around 62.7 billion cubic meters of gas, down 13.3 billion cubic meters from last year's level.

Russian gas giant Gazprom previously forecast that EU gas inventories might fail to reach even 75% ahead of the next heating season. TASS earlier reported that Europe risks entering the winter season with record-low gas reserves.

The average replenishment rate for EU storage in July hit one of its lowest levels since 2011, eclipsed only by the lows of 2020 and 2024. At this pace, Europe could fill its storage sites to just 70-75% by the traditional start of the autumn-winter period, marking an all-time low for the start of a heating season.

Under European Commission mandates, EU member states must ensure their gas storage facilities are 90% full between October 1 and December 1 each year, with a 10% flexibility allowance for challenging market conditions. Therefore, net injections into European storage must reach at least 68 billion cubic meters by the start of the 2026-2027 winter season to meet the target.

This year's slow replenishment rates were heavily driven by intense competition with Asia for available liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies amid the Middle East conflict, higher fuel prices, and extreme heat in June and July. Such summer heatwaves trigger a surge in electricity demand for cooling systems and air conditioners. Gas remains a primary source of power generation alongside nuclear, wind, and solar energy.