One of the main concerns of many Austrians is that they will not be able to heat their homes next winter due to the reduced gas supply. E-Control board member Alfons Haber does not currently see such a scenario as realistic. The current Russian supply problems are also “understandable”.
According to official information, Russia’s Gazprom is currently experiencing technical difficulties. As a result, gas supplies to Europe are currently severely restricted in some cases; Austria is also affected by this.
problems “understandable”
While the German Economics Minister Robert Habeck even suspects a political motive behind this – in the warm season the gas reserves are filled up for the winter – the board of E-Control sees it differently. The Russian reasoning for the reduced delivery quantities is not only understandable, but also “transparent”, he explained in the Ö1 “Tomorrow Journal” on Friday.
The problem lies with the compressor, which is essential for transporting the gas to the destination countries – these are “very complex technical instruments,” Haber said. It is understandable that problems can arise here.
Almost half of the annual consumption in stock
In general, the supply bottlenecks do not mean major problems, Haber is convinced. After all, there are currently very high filling levels in Austria compared to other European countries, as there are also large storage capacities in the country. “We currently have about 38.4 terawatt hours stored – that’s about 40 percent of Austria’s annual consumption,” says Haber.
Stores can be filled further
In the current situation, in addition to fixed consumption, it is still possible to continue to fill the storage tanks, Haber sees no problem for the cold seasons. Nevertheless, with a view to the winter, the further gas flows must of course be taken into account.
Should there be further restrictions here, one would also have to switch to alternative supplies – for example from the Caspian region or North Africa and Norway.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
