Russian troops advance into Ukraine.

This raises the question of energy supply and mutual economic relations more than before.

Germany needs supplies of natural gas from Russia to heat homes and have industrial plants produce.

Conversely, however, Russia also receives significant payments from Europe for the supply of raw materials.

Jan Hauser

Editor in Business.

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How much natural gas does Russia supply?

Russia is Germany's main supplier.

In 2020, the Russian share of supply via pipelines was 55 percent.

Norway accounted for 30 percent and the Netherlands for almost 13 percent.

In addition, there is our own production in this country, and part of the deliveries flow on to other countries.

The consumption of Russian natural gas in Germany is therefore likely to be less than 50 percent.

Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens) wants to change the dependency on Russia, but that will take time.

Last year, Germany mainly imported oil and natural gas from Russia worth 19.4 billion euros - that was an increase of 49.5 percent and accounted for 59 percent of all imports from Russia.

Overall, Germany covered almost 27 percent of its energy needs with natural gas last year.

When will natural gas be scarce?

The filling level of the gas storage facilities in Germany is around 30 percent.

This is what the AGSI platform says for February 22nd.

That's rather little for this time of year.

A year ago it was 32 percent, before that it was 80 percent, 54 percent and 34 percent.

How long the supplies will last depends primarily on consumption, which in turn is influenced by the outside temperatures.

Natural gas deliveries are also continuing.

The level is still low, but no longer historically low, said Sebastian Bleschke on Thursday, Managing Director of the Energy Storage Initiative, an association of operators of German gas and hydrogen storage facilities: "Very mild temperatures this winter have made a significant contribution to easing the gas supply situation."

If the German gas storage tanks are completely full, this should be enough for a third of the annual consumption.

Russia emphasizes that the state-owned Gazprom group has fulfilled its delivery obligations.

However, Russia has delivered less than usual.

From October onwards, despite price records, supplies fell while Russia positioned troops on the border with Ukraine.

The local natural gas storage facilities are located at almost 50 locations and can hold a maximum of almost 24 billion cubic meters of usable gas.

According to AGSI, gas storage facilities in the European Union are 30 percent full.

This is also less than usual: in previous years it was 38 percent, 63 percent, 43 percent and 34 percent.

Vice Chancellor Habeck still sees no reason to worry.

"Security of supply is guaranteed for this winter," he said on Monday evening - and thus before the new developments in the conflict with Russia.

Nevertheless, the stores should be better filled than was the case this winter.

"The reservoirs must be full and we must have a way of controlling this filling of the reservoirs."

How can energy security be improved?

One possibility is to prescribe certain delivery quantities to the gas suppliers or certain fill levels to the storage operators.

Habeck has not yet made a decision.

He says that regulations must be developed that oblige operators to keep gas storage tanks full.

Then there would be clear rules for everyone and nobody could leave storage empty at the expense of others.

He prefers this path to the possibility of the state itself becoming active as a buyer.

Another idea is a national gas reserve similar to the oil reserve.

One difference, however, is that gas consumption fluctuates greatly seasonally and is particularly necessary in winter.

Who uses natural gas in Germany?