Factbox: Germany's gas supply in numbers

Uniper SE

02/02/2026 09:41

FRANKFURT, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Germany's Economy Minister Katherina Reiche is currently in Saudi Arabia to seek closer ties on energy, a sector where Berlin is seeking to diversify as its reliance on U.S. liquefied natural gas grows.

WHY IS GAS SUPPLY AN ISSUE IN GERMANY?

For decades, Germany used to be dependent on Russia for most of its gas, providing Europe's biggest economy with relatively cheap supply that was a key advantage for the country's industry.

With Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, that relationship has ended, forcing Germany - which apart from lignite has no substantial fossil fuel sources of its own - to seek more pricey alternatives elsewhere.

WHERE DOES GERMAN GET ITS GAS FROM?

Germany imported 1.031 terawatt hours (TWh) of pipeline gas  and LNG in 2025, up more than 16% year-on-year, with Norway (44%), the Netherlands (24%) and Belgium (21%) being the top suppliers, according to figures from the country's energy regulator.

Around 10% of all imports occurred via the country's LNG terminals, most of which were hastily built during Europe's energy crisis, with the United States accounting for 96% of those.

DOES IT CONSUME ALL IMPORTS?

No. German gas consumption rose 2.2% to 864 TWh in 2025, with industry accounting for 60% of demand. Consumption was down 13.5% when compared to the 2018-2021 average.

It exported 221 TWh, most of it to Austria (46%), the Czech Republic (26%) and Switzerland (13%).

ARE LOW GAS STORAGE LEVELS A PROBLEM?

German gas storage levels are currently at less than a third, according to data from Gas Infrastructure Europe, far below the 56% a year ago and also lower than the 41% EU average.

Its energy regulator says the level, albeit lower, is still adequate given the changed environment.

 (Reporting by Christoph Steitz, Editing by Louise Heavens)

 ((christoph.steitz@thomsonreuters.com; +49 30 220 133 647;))