The Swiss government, citing the possibility of energy shortages next year, has issued a directive to its energy suppliers to set aside reserves earmarked specifically for its use next winter.

The order mandates energy suppliers set aside the equivalent of 15% of the nation’s annual consumption in facilities in neighboring nations, since Switzerland has no domestic reserve storage capacity.

The order mandating the reserve of Swiss gas was originally introduced in May of last year, in preparation for the 2022-2023 winter season, after the cessation of Russian supplies following the imposition of Western sanctions on Russia due to the war in Ukraine.

In the most recent directive, the Swiss government said, “The EU obliges member states without their own storage capacity to store 15% of their annual consumption for winter 2023/24 too. Switzerland is hereby continuing to show solidarity in helping to fill Europe’s storage facilities.”

However the government noted that if conditions prove to be more extreme than expected, the 15% reserve may not fully cover all domestic shortfalls.

According to official data, about 15% of Switzerland’s annual energy consumption is covered by natural gas. Prior to the war in Ukraine, Switzerland received just under half of its annual gas consumption from Russia.