Gas reserves in Germany will be above average after winter, says INES

Gas reserves in Germany will remain above average after the current winter, and only a modest volume of liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports will be needed to refill them for the upcoming heating season at the turn of 2023 and 2024. Sebastian Bleschke, head of the German association of gas and hydrogen storage operators INES, told reporters at a press conference today. In its report on the gas supply outlook, INES stated that Germany’s LNG terminal capacity could be sufficient for Europe and, if Germany’s long-term plans are completed, could even exceed what is needed.

“The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs’ plans to develop LNG terminals in Germany are understandable given the current energy situation, but they are likely to be oversized in view of the transition to green energy,” Bleschke said.

According to Bleschke, the potential oversizing of the terminals is linked to plans to use hydrogen, which Germany wants to use to provide clean energy, particularly for industry. Germany is therefore building LNG terminals with a view to using them in the future to import hydrogen. INES therefore recommends developing storage capacity alongside the construction of terminals, which could be used to store gas now and hydrogen in the future.