Germany Fleshes Out Emergency Gas Reserve Plan to Deflect Shocks

Germany is detailing plans to build up a strategic natural gas reserve to keep supplies running in a worst-case crisis scenario, as the shock caused by the Iran war underscores Europe’s continued vulnerability to sudden disruptions.

Emergency reserves should have a size of around 24 terawatt-hours or about 10% of the nation’s gas storage capacity, according to an economy ministry document seen by Bloomberg. That would secure supply for households and businesses for around two weeks in a normal winter — or for one week in a very cold winter — if all imports were cut off.