Germany has had an Emergency Plan for Gas (Notfallplan Gas) since 2012. It implements EU Regulation 2017/1938 on the security of gas supply and sets out how Germany responds in a supply crisis. The plan has three levels, which are declared by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy depending on the severity of the situation.

Level 1
The early warning level takes effect when there are concrete indications that an event could significantly worsen the gas supply. A crisis team of authorities and suppliers is formed within the Ministry. This level initially has hardly any direct impact on consumers, although they are advised to reduce their gas consumption where possible.

Level 2
The alert level applies in the event of an actual disruption to the natural gas supply or exceptionally high demand. The market continues to function and can manage the situation on its own. Companies respond by saving gas or using alternative supply routes.

Level 3
Emergency level: if market-based measures have been exhausted and supply is still insufficient, the state intervenes directly. The Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) manages the distribution of the available gas, giving particular protection to private households, social institutions and hospitals.

What does this mean at present?
Germany's gas supply is currently stable. Since 1 July 2025, the early warning level has applied again. The alert level, which had been in force since July 2022 as a result of the loss of Russian gas deliveries, has been lifted. This easing is the result of targeted measures, including the development of a reliable LNG infrastructure that did not exist in Germany before.

The role of the DET terminals
DET's LNG terminals are a key component of these measures. They enable Germany to source natural gas from different countries, independently of individual pipelines. In addition to the marketed regasification capacities, reserve capacities are held in readiness and can be activated at short notice in the event of sudden shortages. The terminals are thus a bridge to the energy system of the future, indispensable today while onshore facilities are still under construction.