Dutch gas reserves only 33% full, far below winter safety target
Dutch natural gas reserves stand at just 33.1% capacity in mid-July, far below the roughly 80% level recommended by network operator Gasunie ahead of winter.
The reserves, which are normally filled from roughly April 1 to Nov. 1, are growing but remain well behind last year’s pace. At this time in 2025, they were already more than 40% full. The lag has raised concerns about preparedness for a cold winter.
The shortfall stems in part from the Norg and Grijpskerk facilities being left nearly empty after the previous winter. GasTerra had stopped operations and delivered the sites empty according to prior agreements. Normally, 20% to 30% of gas remains in storage after winter, according to TNO gas expert René Peters.
“Nederland and Germany are now the most behind in Europe,” Peters said. “That is not strange if you have to start from zero. But the commercial market is barely filling due to the current market situation. That is why the backlog remains large.”
Gasunie recommends storing 115 terawatt hours (TWh) — about 80% of the country’s total 144 TWh storage capacity — to meet peak winter demand. The European Commission has set a lower target of at least 74% for the Netherlands.
A Gasunie spokesperson said, "If the filling continues at this pace, we are satisfied. But there is still quite a bit that needs to happen to reach the level of 115 TWh. We are still far from it and we are keeping our finger on the pulse.”
State-owned Energie Beheer Nederland (EBN) is injecting gas on government orders to reach a minimum of 80 TWh, or roughly 56% of capacity. The company says filling is proceeding steadily but has not forecast whether it will hit the full target.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate expects the EBN effort, along with later commercial injections, to be sufficient for an average winter. Ministry officials noted that commercial players have sometimes waited until September to begin filling in previous years.
Commercial energy companies are currently holding back, anticipating lower prices later. Peters explained the market logic: “The market is counting on prices falling later and is therefore not buying now. Energy companies think they will be able to buy the gas in winter. But that makes the Netherlands more dependent on the market situation at the moment when demand is highest.”
Peters also highlighted the difference between planning for an average winter versus severe cold: “You are not only filling for an average winter. With a few weeks of temperatures around 10 degrees below zero, gas demand rises very sharply.”
Despite the low levels, Peters said there is no reason for panic. The Netherlands has significant storage capacity and continues to receive steady gas inflows. However, the country also supplies gas to other European nations, and several neighbors face their own shortfalls.
“Normally the Netherlands also uses the storages for the rest of Europe,” Peters said. “If several countries need gas at the same time, that makes the Netherlands more vulnerable.”
