Slow and steady: Jørgensen tells EU to start stockpiling gas

The European Commission has urged European Union members to start filling gas storage facilities slowly and steadily to avoid exacerbating price pressure caused by the war in the Middle East.

Amid the energy crisis triggered by Russia as it invaded Ukraine in 2022, Brussels put in place a law requiring Europe’s gas storage facilities to be at least 90% full before the onset of winter.

Energy commissioner Dan Jorgensen wrote to EU capitals on Saturday, urging them to start refilling stores early and to do so over a longer period “to mitigate pressure on prices and avoid (an) end-of-summer rush”.

Jørgensen noted that in case of “difficult conditions” and a green light from the EU executive, countries can deviate from the EU’s  target by up to 20 percentage points.

The Danish commissioner also called on them to “consider reducing your filling target to 80 percent as early as possible in the filling season to provide certainty and reassurance to market…