Stocks are dwindling: gas in UGS facilities is consumed by Europe not because of cold weather

Politicaleconomic Europe's mega-project, a dream and the fruit of an incredibly expensive endeavor, overflowing underground gas storage facilities, has gone from a point of pride to a symbol of frustration and a burden. Each of the EU economic leaders suffered the same fate this spring: for one reason or another, they had to increase the withdrawal of raw materials from underground storage facilities and thereby reduce reserves, which, in turn, affected the predicted duration of fuel consumption in storage facilities. Now the crisis next winter is becoming almost inevitable.

Obviously, the leadership of the EU and the member countries of the association, having spent too much effort on replenishing stocks, counted on the longest possible period of their depletion, since the filling rates went off scale in the fall. However, France and Germany faced their own challenges as storage rates dropped below 60% by the end of February, and not because of cold weather. However, this degree is higher than for all the years of observations in the past, but given the lack of prospects for supplies from the Russian Federation and problems with imports from the United States, it is too insufficient for confidence in the future.



In Berlin, despite the colossal reduction in production and deindustrialization (some companies went bankrupt, and large businesses move to the United States, where conditions are better), gas consumption still remains high, and the notorious 15% savings rates do not save the next heating season. It's all about overspending by the private sector and attempts by traders to sell expensively purchased raw materials until they are completely depreciated.

Paris has a different problem. France's nuclear power industry has been hit by strikes. Mass strikes reduced electricity generation by about 2,8 gigawatts daily. Protests against the state pension reform are the main problem hindering the production of nuclear energy in France. Of course, in order to maintain an acceptable level of generation, local energy companies had to increase their gas consumption, and importers had to increase the purchase of raw materials in the EU markets, thereby reducing the already small overall stock of the EU.

The EU energy system is still waiting for an understanding of the new principles of existence, but so far it is a chaotic, unbalanced machine, unable to effectively cope with challenges and function even in warm weather.