Germany says its current gas reserves are sufficient to meet national demand this winter, easing concerns over storage levels and reducing the likelihood of costly government intervention.

Klaus Müller, president of Germany’s Federal Network Agency, said more than 136 terawatt-hours (TWh) of gas are currently in storage, with facilities more than 55 per cent full, according to the German Press Agency (dpa).

Müller said the current reserves exceed the nearly 134 TWh withdrawn from storage during the whole of last winter.

He added that there is still time to increase stocks further in the coming weeks.

His comments came after the Association of Gas Storage Operators (INES) raised concerns about storage levels being lower than in previous years.

Müller said such comparisons were no longer entirely meaningful, given changes in Germany’s gas supply infrastructure.

The country now has liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals operating at about 45 per cent of capacity, while pipeline supplies from Norway provide another source of gas that can be increased if necessary.

Müller stressed that gas traders, rather than the government, are responsible for maintaining adequate supplies.

He said traders can meet their obligations through pipeline imports, LNG or storage withdrawals, meaning government purchases are not currently required.