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Natural Gas: Storage

Asked by David ReedConservativeDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled Answered 8 September 2026UIN 25226

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, pursuant to the answer of 14 July 2026 to question 16797, how many times since 1 January 2025 have the industry emergency stocks been used.

Answered by Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

There has been one International Energy Agency coordinated emergency stock release since January 2025 – the action announced on 11 March 2026 in response to the Middle East conflict and Strait of Hormuz disruption. The UK's contribution was ~14 million barrels which DESNZ moved quickly to make available by lowering the obligation on companies to hold stocks. Further information on industry stock levels can be found at: ET_3.11_AUG_26.xlsx

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