Latest News

Europe's mild winter leaves gas stocks at record high: Kemp

Europe is on track to end the winter with a record volume of gas in storage, which has pressed futures rates back to precrisis levels when inflation is taken into consideration.

The supply image has been changed from two years ago, when traders and policymakers were worried about possible gas lacks following Russia's intrusion of Ukraine.

Storage centers across the European Union and the United Kingdom were 62% full on March 5 compared with approximately 41%. full on the same date in between 2011 and 2020.

Inventories totaled up to 707 terawatt-hours (TWh), which was. 277 TWh (+64% or +2.14 standard deviations) above the prior. ten-year seasonal average.

The surplus had swelled from 167 TWh (+18% or +1.70 requirement. variances) at the start of the winter heating season on October. 1.

Winter 2023/24 has mainly been characterised by a strong. positive North Atlantic Oscillation, directing strong westerly. winds from across the Atlantic into Northwest Europe.

Pressure differentials between the Greenland-Iceland. low-pressure location and the Bermuda-Azores high-pressure location have. been higher than regular, accelerating warm, damp air into. Northwest Europe.

The outcome has actually been greater temperatures and wind speeds than. average, decreasing heating demand and at the very same time boosting. wind generation, producing a double cut to gas intake.

Far this winter, heating up demand has been 14% listed below the. long-term average in London and 25% listed below the average at. Frankfurt in Germany.

Inventories are on track to end winter season around 664 TWh,. setting a record and beating previous highs of 629 TWh at the. end of winter season 2022/23 and 609 TWh at the end of winter season 2019/20.

Northwest Europe is about 80% through the heating season so. any cold snaps are unlikely to make a significant difference to. the outcome at this moment.

It is the area's 2nd moderate winter in a row. Europe has. been lucky as well as wise.

High costs and federal government policies to decrease gas and. electrical power intake have actually contributed avoiding scarcities,. however back-to-back moderate winter seasons have played a bigger role protecting. energy supplies.

Chartbook: Europe gas stocks and costs

Since October 2023, futures costs have actually declined gradually to. motivate more intake and limit accumulation of excess. stocks.

Inflation-adjusted front-month futures costs was up to an. average of simply 26 euros ($ 28.40) per megawatt-hour in February. down from 46 euros in October 2023 and a record 245 euros in. August 2022.

Front-month prices have reverted near to the pre-crisis. ten-year average in between 2011 and 2020 of 23 euros in real. terms.

Lower prices should ultimately motivate energy-intensive. making markets that idled plants in 2022 and 2023 to. reboot a few of them.

Significant commercial users primarily hedge gas purchases in the. forward market, where year-ahead rates have actually fallen to an. average of around 30-31 euros per megawatt-hour so far in 2024.

Year-ahead prices are not vastly higher than the pre-crisis. Once adjusted for core, average for 2011-2020 of 26 euros. inflation.

It will take longer for the decline in wholesale expenses to. Filter through to retail rates for gas and electricity. households and small companies should see costs decline before. winter season 2024/25.

Lower rates are already directing more melted natural. gas freights to price-sensitive clients in East and South Asia. that were reluctant or unable to take on wealthier users in. Europe during 2022/23.

Rates require to fall far enough for enough time to purge some. excess stock and make space in the storage system for the. build-up of stocks during the summertime of 2024.

Associated columns:

- Europe's inflamed gas stocks drive costs lower (February. 13, 2024)

- Europe's gas price is up to motivate more industrial usage. ( January 4, 2024)

- Europe's energy crisis is over (November 28, 2023)

John Kemp is a market analyst. The views revealed. are his own. Follow his commentary on X https://twitter.com/JKempEnergy.

(source: Reuters)