Strong demand for Norwegian gas as Europe enters the winter season

As Europe heads into the coming winter, it faces a more challenging energy market than usual. Despite high and stable deliveries from the Norwegian continental shelf throughout the summer, increased geopolitical uncertainty and tensions in the Middle East have contributed to lower gas storage levels and higher gas prices than at the same time in recent years.

– Europe needs reliable energy more than ever. Norwegian gas plays a vital role in supplying energy to millions of people and large parts of European industry. Our task is to ensure that the transport system operates safely, efficiently and with high reliability throughout the year,” says Alfred Skår Hansen, Director of System Operations at Gassco.

The Norwegian continental shelf is well prepared

The gas year begins on 1 October because it coincides with the start of the heating season in Europe. This provides a natural framework for planning and monitoring gas supply during the period of highest energy demand.

Every summer, extensive planned maintenance is carried out on the Norwegian continental shelf. The work is coordinated and optimised by Gassco and is essential for maintaining safe operations, high reliability and strong delivery capacity throughout the winter months.

This year’s maintenance programme involved fewer and shorter production shutdowns than in previous years. The activities were completed as planned, with limited impact on the capacity of the gas transport system.

– Maintenance activities are an important investment in security of supply. As we enter the winter season with maintenance completed and a well-functioning transport system, the Norwegian continental shelf is well prepared to meet European demand,” says Hansen.

The threat landscape has changed

Norway is the largest single supplier of natural gas to Europe. Norwegian gas accounts for 30 per cent of Europe’s gas import requirements and nine per cent of Europe’s total energy consumption. In 2025, Norway supplied Europe with 1,271 TWh of natural gas, equivalent to around nine times Norway’s normal annual hydropower production.

In recent years, energy infrastructure has taken on greater strategic importance from a security perspective. The sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines, the war in Ukraine and rising geopolitical tensions have contributed to a more complex threat landscape for Europe’s energy supply.

Safety and security are Gassco’s highest priorities. The company maintains heightened security measures across the Norwegian gas transport system and works closely with authorities, operating companies and other relevant stakeholders to help safeguard a safe and stable energy supply.

– The threat landscape has changed significantly in recent years. That is why we continuously strengthen both physical security and cyber security. At the same time, we regularly conduct emergency preparedness exercises to enhance our resilience and ensure that we can maintain robust and reliable operations, even in a more unpredictable environment, says Hansen.