Under certain conditions, the German gas supply could survive a failure of all Russian gas imports in the coming days and weeks.
This is the assumption of the industry association of storage companies, the Energy Storage Initiative (INES).
The condition is that the temperatures remain mild and that sufficient liquefied natural gas (LNG) is available for the EU internal market, said Association Managing Director Sebastian Bleschke of the German Press Agency dpa.
"Since such a situation has not yet occurred in the past, a certain degree of uncertainty remains."
The storage levels in Germany were around 31 percent last Sunday.
"The levels are therefore still very low, but no longer historically low."
According to INES, there are 47 underground storage facilities in Germany operated by around 25 companies.
The storage facilities compensate for fluctuations in gas consumption and thus form a kind of buffer system for the gas market.
They supplement the ongoing gas supply from pipeline imports.
The largest importing countries are Russia, Norway and the Netherlands.
“We are in the midst of a fossil war”
The energy expert at the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), Claudia Kemfert, sees no immediate crisis in German gas supply due to the escalation of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Whether Germany would have to reduce its gas consumption depends on "whether and when there are interruptions in delivery or even failures," Kemfert told the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung.
"Without question, we are in a serious situation, in the midst of a fossil war."
However, Germany can get some of its gas from other sources.
"In addition, we are at the end of winter." It is therefore unlikely that it could get cold in German apartments.
According to Kemfert, Germany covers a little more than 50 percent of its gas requirements through imports from Russia, as well as around 30 percent of its oil requirements.
Against this background, she emphasized: “The best answer to fossil energy wars is the energy transition with more renewable energies and energy saving.”
State should ensure affordable energy prices
In her opinion, the state should do two things to ensure affordable energy prices: “First: expand renewable energies and promote energy saving.
And secondly: reimburse the households for the CO2 income per capita.” This relieves people with low incomes in particular.
Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the independence of the separatist areas in eastern Ukraine on Monday.
He also announced that he would send Russian soldiers to ensure "peace" in the areas.
In response, the US and EU enacted sweeping financial sanctions against Russia and the separatists.
On the instructions of Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), the approval process for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which is intended to transport Russian natural gas through the Baltic Sea to Germany and other countries, has been stopped for the time being.