Most EU countries have a higher storage capacity than Belgium, so they need more time to fill them. Germany has the largest storage capacity, with nearly 250 TWh, for a filling rate of 65% at present. Italy (83.6%), the Netherlands (60.8%), France (80.8%) and Austria (77.4%) also have a large storage capacity.
Since 2022, EU member states have to fill their gas reserves at least 90% before November 1 of each year. This obligation aims to ensure that they have sufficient reservations after the Russian invasion in Ukraine has caused supply problems.
There is not enough competition on the Belgian market for the supply of gas and electricity
At the beginning of July, the European Parliament validated a greater room for maneuver in the Member States to reconstruct their natural gas stocks before winter in order to prevent the prices of gas to rise during the summer.
Gas storage facilities cover around 30% of European winter consumption.