Costly gas amid Iran war hinders German storage refilling, sector warns

German gas storage refilling is being hampered by high prices driven by the American-Israeli war on Iran, storage facility operator association INES has warned. Security of supply could be at risk if next winter turns out to be comparatively cold, the group said. 

Milder temperatures in March and April allowed storage refilling to resume after the winter season, but it "remained well below filling in previous years due to sharply rising gas prices following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz" – a crucial shipping route for oil and gas. On 1 May 2026, the average storage level in Germany stood at only around 26 percent – a level last seen during the crisis year of 2021/2022, said INES. It currently stands at around 28 percent. 

INES’ analysis found that the country lacked the economic incentives to fill gas storage units to the legally-mandated level of 75 percent by 1 November, although this remains technically feasible. 

Gas storage plays a central role in Germany's energy security, as the country relies on it to cover demand during winter months. Germany has faced supply pressure since Russia cut pipeline deliveries following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Norway now is Germany’s dominant gas supplier, but Europe’s biggest economy also sources more than 90 percent of its direct LNG from the US, in addition to considerable amounts of US LNG through third countries like France and the Netherlands. The EU as a whole sourced 57 percent of its LNG from the US in 2025.

“Analyses of the INES gas scenarios make it clear that, in addition to sufficient technical capacity, market-based conditions in particular will be crucial for security of supply this coming winter,” said Sebastian Heinermann, managing director of INES. “To be prepared for even a very cold winter, storage capacity must not only be booked but also filled.” 

INES’ analysis comes the day after German states called on the federal government to develop an “urgent” strategy to fill gas storage facilities, in order to shield consumers from substantial price hikes. In response to the outbreak of war in the Persian Gulf in March, INES called on the federal government to create a “strategic resilience reserve” of at least 78 terawatt hours of gas, enough to cover a 90-day interruption of gas pipeline deliveries from Norway, Germany’s most important supplier.