While Europe looks anxiously at the maintenance of Russia’s Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, Brussels is already planning an emergency. A draft emergency plan from the European Commission stipulates that public buildings, offices and commercial buildings must be heated to a maximum of 19 degrees from the autumn. In view of the looming gas crisis, the economy and consumers in the European Union could be confronted with significant energy-saving measures.
“Acting now can reduce the effects of a sudden supply interruption by a third,” says the text, available to the German news agency. There is now a “significant risk” that Russia will cut gas supplies to Europe this year.
call to consume less
Companies that can replace gas should reduce their consumption, they believe. The aim is to protect industries that are particularly important for supply chains and competitiveness. Households are also encouraged to voluntarily consume less. “Everyone can now save gas,” the committee writes.
Households have priority
The existing rules stipulate that, for example, households and hospitals are given priority in the event of a gas shortage. However, if electricity production is compromised, countries could place the supply of gas-fired power plants for electricity supply through certain protected consumers, it said. The plan is subject to change and is expected to be officially presented next Wednesday (July 20).
Concerns about filling levels in the storage tanks
According to the text, simulations by the regulator ENTSO-G have shown that a supply freeze in July would mean that the gas storage facilities could not be sufficiently filled and that there could still be shortages in the winter and next year. If there were an outage in October or later, there would be less risk to winter demand.
But then you have less time to react. The implications for member states depend on how dependent they are on Russian gas. Austria is one of the most affected countries.
Delivery quantities already drastically reduced
According to the Commission, the gas supply from Russia has already been drastically reduced. Overall, gas flows are now less than 30 percent of the 2016 to 2021 average, the design shows. This has led to historically high energy prices and fueled inflation. There is no indication that the situation will improve. It is more likely to get worse.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
