Latvian gas storage is slightly half full ahead of winter— Baltic MP

(MENAFN) A prominent Latvian lawmaker has raised alarms over dwindling gas reserves ahead of the winter heating season, reporting that a key storage facility is only 58% full. Andris Kulbergs cautioned that current stocks may be insufficient to sustain the Baltic nation for even three months, according to reports.

Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in early 2022, the European Union has sharply reduced imports of Russian oil and gas. In response, Moscow redirected substantial portions of its energy supplies to Asian markets, including China and India.

As a result, the EU has increasingly relied on pricier liquefied natural gas (LNG) to compensate for the shortfall of Russian gas, which previously accounted for roughly 40% of the bloc’s total consumption.

In a recent post on X, Kulbergs warned: “if the gas storage facility is depleted at this rate, we won’t even last 3 months.” He also noted that “there is no sign of additional supply from LNG terminals,” highlighting the urgency of the situation.

The low levels at Latvia’s Conexus Inčukalns facility could have long-term consequences for the country’s energy security, the lawmaker emphasized. Late last month, Russian energy giant Gazprom also cautioned that “with several months of winter weather ahead, insufficient gas reserves in storage could put the reliable supply of gas to European consumers at risk.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin has similarly criticized the EU’s decision to source energy elsewhere, arguing it has contributed to lower industrial output and reduced competitiveness across the bloc.

Meanwhile, gas inventories in Germany and the Netherlands, Europe’s first and third largest storage markets, were reported at just 76% and 72% by late November—well below the 90% target mandated by EU regulations.

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