Netherlands stocks 93 TWh gas, meets revised target: GIE

The Netherlands has stored 93 terawatt-hours of natural gas (about 8.8 billion cubic meters) and achieved a revised stocking target ahead of winter, according to data from Gas Infrastructure Europe.

Facilities across the country were filled to 93 TWh as of Oct. 18, per the latest GIE data. This corresponds to some 64.6% of capacity.

The Dutch government lowered the country's EU-mandated gas storage filling target ahead of the coming winter from 115 TWh to 93 TWh in September to avoid further upward pressure on wholesale gas prices.

European indexes are trading at multi-year highs. Platts, part of S&P Global Energy, assessed the month-ahead Dutch TTF gas price at €87.785/megawatt-hour Oct. 19. The benchmark is at its highest point since December 2022.

Dutch stocking remains below levels seen in past years. At the same time in 2025 and 2024, storage across the Netherlands was filled to 71.6% and 91.2%, respectively, GIE figures showed.

Despite the lag, the Dutch government stressed Oct. 20 the current fill level should suffice for a winter similar to recent ones.

"Over the past five winters, the average usage from the Dutch winter stock has been about 70 TWh," it said in a statement on the social media website X. "This means that, in a winter comparable to the past few years, there is sufficient gas for the Netherlands, in addition to the regular supply."

Stocking struggles

The Netherlands, like much of Europe, has struggled to fill gas storage sites this year amid persistently backwardated forward curves that have sapped the financial incentive for market players to stock gas in warmer months to sell for a profit in colder ones.

The government gave state-owned energy firm EBN a mandate and a subsidy earlier this year to fill up to 80 TWh of storage capacity ahead of winter, or some 55.6% of the country's technical capacity, according to GIE.

The Netherlands has the third-largest storage capacity in the EU.

Despite meeting the revised fill target, the country remains behind the wider EU average fill level of 74.6%, according to GIE data.

Winter 2027-28 target

For next year, the government said Oct. 16 that it would target filling storage to 103 TWh, or 71.5% of capacity, ahead of winter 2027-28. This is higher than the 64% recommended for next year by Gasunie Transport Services, a subsidiary of state-owned gas infrastructure operator Gasunie.

GTS explained that changes in the Dutch market drove its lower recommendation.

"Dutch gas demand has fallen in recent years," GTS said in a statement Oct. 16. "Based on market consultations, GTS also expects that the Dutch LNG terminals will receive additional LNG in a cold winter, which means that less storage volume is needed to guarantee security of supply."

Even as it called for less filling, though, GTS continued to stress the importance of gas storage.

"Despite the expected growth in LNG supply, gas storage remains essential for security of supply in the winter," it said Oct. 16. "They provide the flexibility needed to cope with peaks in gas demand during cold winter periods."

The Dutch government has called for Brussels to adjust its approach to regulating storage after the EU's current filling law expires at the end of next year.