DW reported that Germany's gas storage facilities have reached 100% capacity as the country opens its first terminal to import liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Data released by the European Gas Infrastructure Industry Association (GIE) on November 15 showed that gas storage facilities in Germany are now at 100% capacity.
Europe's largest economy has been actively replenishing gas reserves due to Russia's cuts in supply following its military campaign in Ukraine.
Full tanks will ensure supply for businesses and consumers during the winter months.
Germany has also achieved targets of filling 95% of its gas reserves ahead of schedule in mid-October. "The total reserves in Germany are currently 100%," said the Federal grid Agency, Germany's energy watchdog.
The reserve milestone was reached on the same day Germany opened a new terminal dedicated to seaborne LNG imports - an alternative to Russian gas via pipeline. In total, Germany will build 5 such stations.
Federal Network Agency President Klaus Müller said the events showed Germany's "double success". We now need this momentum to expand renewable energy and their networks, Müller said.
Germany has been working to find an alternative to Russian gas, including LNG imports from producers such as Norway and the US.
Businesses and private consumers have also adapted, paying attention to the call for a consumption cut. That is partly possible thanks to the mild autumn weather, which means the heating demand is less than expected.
Efforts to avoid the energy crisis also include temporarily re-activating old coal and oil plants, while extending the life of Germany's last three nuclear power plants.
Meanwhile, Germany is accelerating the construction of terminals for LNG imports. The northern German port of Wilhelmshaven opened its first LNG terminal on November 15. The first facility was built to accommodate the floating LNG terminal that would allow ships to transport gas in liquid form.
The station has a floating storage and gas recycling station (FSRU - Floating Storage Regasification Unit) expected to be located here for a long time.
The Norwegian ship Högh Esperanza is expected to dock at the port in December.
Lower Saxony Environment Minister Christian Meyer said the station would help ensure Germany's energy supply in the short term. However, he added that the next goal is to further develop the port to receive green hydrogen and renewable energy from the North Sea.
Up to now, Germany has been heavily dependent on fossil fuels - especially gas - supplied by Russia to Europe via pipeline.
German police said last month that the LNG terminal sites had been carefully protected throughout the construction process. The construction site is regularly monitored, but not continuously, from both on land and underwater.
The decision came after the sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines in the Baltic Sea in September.
