German gas storage could quickly empty after a few frosty days – network regulator chief

BERLIN, Nov 4 (Reuters) – Germany’s gas storage facilities could be quickly emptied if this winter gets really cold, warned the head of the country’s network regulator in an interview with Spiegel weekly on Friday.

“Just a few freezing cold days are enough for a dramatic increase in gas consumption,” Klaus Mueller said.

Mueller’s Bundesnetzagentur would be in charge of gas rationing if it came to it, a scenario Germany wants to avoid at all costs via regular pleas to cut consumption by at least 20%.

As of Nov. 2, Germany’s gas storage levels stood at 99.3% and Mueller said that Europe’s top economy could keep going for around 9-10 weeks were it solely to rely on those tanks – provided it’ll be a mild winter as was the case in 2021/2022.

(Writing by Miranda Murray and Christoph SteitzEditing by Paul Carrel)