DIW: Germany is unlikely to face a gas shortage next winter

Germany is unlikely to face a gas shortage next winter, the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) said in a report. If gas-saving efforts continue, Germany should be able to secure its gas supplies this year through floating terminals and imports from Norway, Belgium and the Netherlands.

After Russia launched its war on Ukraine, the already strained situation on the European and global natural gas markets worsened. In addition to a sharp rise in prices, there was also a risk of supply disruptions for consumers if Russian natural gas deliveries were interrupted. A year later, the situation has eased on both the supply and demand sides. Wholesale natural gas prices have fallen to pre-war levels.

End of Russian gas supplies to Germany

Germany has meanwhile largely eliminated all imports of energy commodities from Russia. Following EU sanctions, imports of Russian coal ended in April 2022, followed by seaborne imports of oil and petroleum products and, from 2023, pipeline imports as well.