The EU could face a major gas shortage if the region is hit by a cold winter, Gazprom CEO Aleksey Miller has warned.
Citing data from Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE), Gazprom said that as of end-August only two-thirds of the gas withdrawn from European storage facilities last winter had been replenished, after five months of injections. The shortfall of 18.9 billion cubic meters was the second largest on record for that date.
The EU does not fully grasp the scale of the challenge in refilling underground gas storage ahead of the heating season, Miler warned, adding that there is little time left to address the issue. The bloc imports nearly 90% of its natural gas and Russia still supplies a significant share despite sanctions.
