Latvia's Inčukalns gas storage holds 11 TWh, enough for winter demand
Latvia's Inčukalns underground gas storage currently holds 11 TWh of natural gas, more than the country's total consumption last year, leaving the network ready for the upcoming heating season. Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs visited the facility together with Conexus Baltic Grid leadership.
Latvia's Inčukalns underground gas storage facility currently holds 11 terawatt-hours (TWh) of natural gas, compared with the country's total consumption of 8.7 TWh in 2025. Injections are still continuing ahead of the next withdrawal season, which begins in mid-October.
Following a modernization project completed this spring, the storage facility's operating principle has changed: gas can now be injected and withdrawn throughout the season, rather than only during fixed periods as before. This allowed traders to start replenishing stocks as early as the beginning of March this year, even though the withdrawal season had not yet ended.
Prime minister visits the facility
Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs, together with Uldis Bariss, chairman of the board of transmission and storage system operator Conexus Baltic Grid, discussed current developments in the gas market, reviewed the facility's infrastructure capabilities and future prospects, and examined the storage's expanded technical capacity. The conversation also touched on market participants' activity.
Kulbergs stressed that the Inčukalns storage remains a cornerstone of energy security for Latvia and the wider region, noting that amid shifting geopolitical conditions, the new ability to inject gas even during the withdrawal season is a significant advantage. He said Latvia's gas infrastructure is ready for the new autumn-winter season, and the key task now is for each trader to fulfil its obligations to gas consumers.
Bariss noted that the storage facility's role has shifted in recent years from a purely seasonal reservoir into a tool for balancing the regional gas market, with system users increasingly timing their storage use to market activity and price movements. The added flexibility allows more precise balancing of the regional gas system and better responsiveness to demand changes, including during cold winter conditions, while enabling traders to plan supplies to their customers year-round.
