As of November 1, Romania’s natural gas storage levels stood at 88.57%, whereas Germany-the largest consumer-has only 61% in storage, and France has 86.68%, compared to a European average of 74.62%, announced Lorant Antal, Chairman of the Senate Committee for Energy, Energy Infrastructure, and Mineral Resources.
“Statistical data regarding Europe’s natural gas storage preparedness as of November 1 show the following: Germany, the largest natural gas consumer, has only 61% of its capacity filled; France has 86.68%; Romania has 88.57%; and the European average is 74.62%. I wouldn’t necessarily call it a problem, but it is certainly a challenge for the coming winter. Furthermore, when discussing the economy, we must realize that energy is, in fact, at the root of all issues,” said the UDMR senator, as quoted by Agerpres.
According to him, energy prices “definitely influence everything that happens in the economy.”
“The geopolitical situation has led to a rise in fuel and gas prices. The volumes of gas stored across the European Union suggest that we may face a challenge regarding gas prices this winter. (…) Among all the states mentioned, Romania is in the best position,” Antal emphasized. He noted that members of the relevant parliamentary committees, through a 2023 legislative initiative, mandated that all natural gas suppliers in Romania store natural gas-covering at least 30% of their customer portfolios-to prevent price hikes caused by insufficient gas supplies.
“At the EU level, we face a paradox: we aim to ‘green’ the entire European Union and undergo an energy transition that entails significant costs-while having, of course, moved away from Russian gas. Yet, the European continent is home to major natural gas producers, including the Netherlands, Norway, and-as of 2027-Romania. Despite this, the European Union intends to tax methane. This means the price of natural gas will rise even further,” explained the chair of the Energy Committee.
He added that Romania’s ambassadors to EU member states, and especially our representatives in Brussels, must be empowered to take action against the “excessive taxation of methane.”
“We need to strengthen the position of our ambassadors in EU member states-particularly those in Brussels-so they understand the need to build alliances with other nations that both consume and produce natural gas, in order to prevent this scenario of excessive methane taxation,” Antal stated.
He maintains that the production and consumption of natural gas are fundamental to the existence of an economy and an industrial sector. “Ultimately, the presence of natural gas consumption implies the existence of industry; where there is industry, there is a functioning economy; where there is energy consumption, there is a healthy economy. Conversely, a decline in energy consumption signals that we are beginning to face an economic problem. In this regard, we must strengthen our governments and provide support-including through subsidies-to various industrial sectors, ensuring that the gas produced in Europe, and especially in Romania, generates added value within the European Union,” the senator added.