The European Union almost doubled the withdrawal of gas from storage facilities — EADaily, March 3, 2023 — Politics News, Russia News

Cold weather has sharply increased the demand for gas in Europe. It has almost doubled and is the highest in the last three years.

In the last days of February – early March, gas withdrawals from European storage facilities almost doubled. According to ENTSOG, 580-590 million cubic meters per day are supplied from UGS facilities. These are the largest volumes for this time of year in the last three years. Literally within a day or two, the selection almost doubled.

Germany and France remain the main gas consumers. On March 1, 146 million and 119 million cubic meters were withdrawn from storage facilities.

The reason for the growth in demand for gas was the weather. It got colder in the EU countries, especially at night. Forecasts of weather forecasters say that after March 10 in Europe it will become much warmer, but from the middle of the month cooling will begin again.

Meteorologists warned that an arctic winter could await Europe in March. “We have a forecast that high pressure will spread to Scandinavia. And an area of ​​high pressure over Scandinavia, combined with a polar vortex that is separating, provides “all the ingredients needed for Germany’s late Arctic winter onset in March,” the meteorologist told Merkur. Jan Shenk from The Weather Channel.

At the beginning of March, gas reserves in EU storage facilities amounted to 64 billion cubic meters. UGS facilities were filled to 60%. Frosts can also reduce fuel reserves by April, when the heating season traditionally ends, to 45-50 billion cubic meters.

Experts are counting on this volume for the EU to start the injection season and prepare for the next winter.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) believes that this year Europe may not have enough up to 57 billion cubic meters if Russian gas supplies stop and China restores demand for gas. The IEA sees the main solution for EU consumers to continue to reduce their consumption.