The director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), Fatih Birol, warned again about the coming winter and painted a gloomy picture on Monday. He called for immediate action to reduce gas consumption and also put forward lower speed limits.
“Unfortunately, my assessment of the situation in view of the winter is becoming more pessimistic every day, as even the alternative gas supply cannot compensate for the failures to fill Europe’s gas storage facilities,” IEA chief Birol said in the “Ö1” morning log.
Warning of drastic consequences
The energy expert sees the voluntary reduction in gas consumption, as recently proposed by the European Commission, as a good step, but according to him 15 percent will not be enough. Massive savings must be made immediately or Europe would face drastic consequences this winter: “Governments will have to stop and ration gas, industry can only get gas at a certain point, domestic hot water can be limited, gas consumption in Europe,” is the IEA chief’s outlook for the cold season.
Save with speed limits
However, in his opinion this could be prevented – with lower speed limits: “Slower speeds save – oil, emissions and money,” Birol told Ö1. The speed limit must be reduced by at least 10 km/h across Europe.
Coal-fired and nuclear power stations will remain
Energy price caps, on the other hand, should be used sparingly and energy companies should be taxed more heavily because their profits have multiplied, as the head of the IEA explained. In addition, it makes sense at the moment to resort to coal-fired power plants and the phasing out of nuclear power plants should also be postponed. In the long term, the focus will of course be on renewable energy, the expert concluded.
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.
