illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on the Financial Times or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: European companies are increasingly withdrawing natural gas from Ukrainian storage facilities, enhancing Europe's energy security during the winter months 
• This strategic use of Ukraine's vast gas storage capacity, the largest in Europe, is mitigating the risk of another energy crisis on the continent

🔭 The context: The reliance on Ukraine for gas storage follows the energy crisis triggered in 2022 after Russia, previously supplying nearly 40% of the EU's gas, significantly reduced its exports 
• Ukraine's role as a storage hub, coupled with incentives like low tariffs and duty exemptions, is helping to keep EU storage sites robustly stocked

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Utilizing Ukraine's gas storage capacity assists in maintaining Europe's energy independence and stability, crucial during the winter season 
• This strategy also aligns with broader efforts to diversify energy sources and reduce reliance on Russian gas, a significant step towards greater energy security and sustainability

⏭️ What's next: With EU storage levels remaining high, the challenge of refilling these reserves in the summer for the next winter appears more manageable, supporting the European Commission's targets for storage capacity

📈 One stat: European Union gas storage levels remained at nearly 90% even in late December, significantly above the previous five-year average

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