Baku: Net gas injections into the underground gas storage facilities of European Union countries since April 2026 have exceeded 22 billion cubic meters, according to the data from the Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE), APA-Economics reports. This substantial storage is part of the EU's preparations for the upcoming winter season.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, Europe's underground gas storage facilities are currently filled to 48.29% capacity. This figure is 14.67 percentage points below the average level recorded for the same period over the past five years. It is also significantly lower than the 57.8% recorded during the same period last year. Currently, EU countries have 52.8 billion cubic meters of gas in storage.

The European Commission mandates that EU countries must fill their underground gas storage facilities to 90% capacity between October 1 and December 1 each year. A flexibility mechanism of 10% is in place to accommodate difficult conditions for filling storage facilities. To meet the regulatory requirement for the 2026-2027 autumn-winter season, net gas injections must total at least 68 billion cubic meters. Last year, EU countries achieved only about 55 billion cubic meters.

It is noteworthy that the transportation of Azerbaijani gas to Europe via the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) began on December 31, 2020. This pipeline plays a crucial role in the diversification of gas supplies to Europe.