The IGU warned that in liberalised markets, the strategic value of storage is often overlooked. Without adequate regulatory backing, storage facilities can become commercially unattractive. In response, governments in several regions have introduced measures such as strategic reserves or mandatory filling levels. 

The organisation called for a “whole-system” planning framework that integrates gas, electricity and hydrogen networks. This would require moving away from siloed policymaking toward a more coordinated approach that better reflects interdependencies in a decarbonising global energy system.

Storage plans in Turkmenistan

 Turkmenistan is well advanced with plans for the development of the Odjak Field for underground gas storage (UGS). The UGS project will be a keystone of Turkmenistan’s strategy to improve energy resilience, to assist in balancing seasonal gas demand, and to support stable exports. 

The UGS facility at the former Odjak gas condensate field will have a capacity of approximately 5 billion cubic meters of gas, and is considered low risk from detailed technical modelling based on years of operational data.