Germany's Gas Supply Secure Despite Low Storage, Says VNG Chief
VNG CEO says Germany can meet winter gas demand despite storage at 57%, citing diversified imports and LNG access.
Germany's natural gas supply remains secure going into winter even though storage levels are unusually low, according to the head of one of the country's largest gas importers. Ulf Heitmueller, chief executive of Leipzig-based VNG, said the system is far more resilient than during the 2022 energy crisis, helped by broader access to liquefied natural gas and a wider range of suppliers.
Storage sites in Germany are only 57% full, a historic low for late September and well below the European average. That has raised questions about energy security in Europe's largest economy. Heitmueller, however, said storage is only one part of the picture. "Compared to 2022, the system is much more robust overall," he said, pointing to LNG and a diversified supply base.
VNG, majority-owned by utility EnBW, procured 409 terawatt hours of gas in 2025 and also runs pipelines and storage facilities. It receives pipeline gas from Norway and has contracts for deliveries from Algeria and Azerbaijan — suppliers that have become more important to Europe since Russian pipeline flows collapsed after the invasion of Ukraine. Heitmueller expressed confidence that VNG can meet its delivery obligations even in a cold winter.
Still, he cautioned that additional import losses, a global supply shortage or infrastructure disruptions — possibly combined with colder weather — could push prices higher this winter. European gas prices have more than doubled this year to around 75 euros per megawatt hour, after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz amid the Iran conflict curtailed global LNG supplies.
Last week, EU energy commissioner Dan Jorgensen warned of an energy price crisis this winter and urged member states to keep filling storage and cut demand. Berlin has resisted direct intervention to boost storage injections but has backed tenders for backup gas supplies for the first quarter of 2027. Heitmueller welcomed that step, saying it encourages storage without distorting the market, and also supported discussions in Berlin on a strategic gas reserve to guard against extreme supply shocks.