Study Sees Significant Potential in Fracking Gas

New study sees great potential for domestic shale and coalbed methane production and views fracking as a possible contribution to energy security and reduced dependence on imports

June 2, 2026

Source: E & M powernews

Germany has significant untapped shale and coalbed methane reserves that could be tapped through fracking. This is the conclusion of a new study.

The study, commissioned by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, estimates recoverable natural gas reserves at around 1,000 billion cubic meters. Even by conservative estimates, 20 billion cubic meters could be produced annually. This corresponds to about one-quarter of Germany’s current gas demand.

“In the long term, Germany will remain dependent on natural gas as a raw material for industry and, as a transitional measure, for electricity and heat generation as well. At the same time, dependence on imports continues to rise. The study shows that domestic shale gas could contribute to security of supply, competitiveness, and resilience,” says author Hans-Joachim Kümpel, commenting on the results of his analysis.

According to the long-time president of the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR), shale gas could replace a portion of LNG imports from overseas. This would prevent significant emissions along the supply chain resulting from liquefaction, transport, and regasification. Depending on the source and supply chain, the potential savings could amount to up to 18 million metric tons of CO2 per year.

The study also argues that the fracking technology required to exploit shale and coalbed methane deposits is now considered to be well under control. The existing ban on this unconventional extraction method is therefore increasingly at odds with the current state of scientific knowledge and the reality of energy policy.

In addition to greater security of supply, the study identifies other potential benefits: