Khaberni - The general director of the European gas transmission network operators organization, Piotr Kos, warned that the European continent is entering the gas storage replenishment season with lower levels compared to previous years, at a time when pressures are increasing on global energy markets and supply chains.
According to the French industrial affairs newspaper "La Nouvelle Usine", these conditions raise concerns about the European Union's capacity to secure its needs during the winter of 2026-2027.
The European official explained that the storage levels in the European Union reached only about 28% at the beginning of April, a lower level compared to the last three years, indicating that this decrease comes at the beginning of the replenishment season, which extends from April until November.
Kos called for the immediate start of gas injections into the reserves at the beginning of spring, and to continue the replenishment operations until the end of autumn, to ensure reaching safe levels sufficient to cover the demand during the coming winter.
According to European data, storage levels during the spring and summer season of 2025 were lower than in previous years, starting at 34% and ending at 83%, compared to 59% and 94% in 2024, while the total gas supplies in Europe increased by 5.6% in 2025 compared to the previous year.
In related news, the network operators organization noted that Europe would need to increase its imports of liquefied natural gas at a faster pace than before, to ensure the replenishment of reserves.
The share of liquefied natural gas in European supplies increased from 29.2% in the summer of 2024 to 37.8% in 2025, with expectations that it will reach 45% in 2026, according to estimates by “S&P Global Energy”.
However, these forecasts face geopolitical challenges, especially in light of tensions in the Middle East, where about a fifth of global oil and gas trade passes through the Strait of Hormuz, which increases the fragility of global supplies and affects market stability.
In France, recent data showed that gas reserves currently stand at only about 22%, reflecting the increased pressure on European Union countries at the beginning of the replenishment season, amid escalating calls to enhance energy security before the upcoming winter season.
