Natural gas stop "especially for Germany" a problem: That would be the consequences
Created: 01/19/2022 15:16
By: Nail Akkoyun
If Russia were to stop exporting natural gas to Germany, a lot of energy would have to be saved.
(symbol photo) © Michael Gstettenbauer/Imago Images
The situation in Ukraine is getting worse, Russian natural gas exports to the EU are becoming scarcer.
What could the short-term consequences for Germany look like?
Moscow/Berlin – The Ukraine crisis is coming to a head, and concerns about the lack of gas deliveries are growing in Europe.
After all, the EU's main supplier, Russia, could stop its natural gas exports in the event of war or even just in retaliation for economic sanctions.
But then what?
According to the Reuters news agency, the US government is already in negotiations with energy companies to develop emergency plans for supplying Europe.
According to experts, the US gas should not be enough to compensate for a supply stop by the gas company Gazprom.
"If Gazprom shouldn't deliver anything at all, that would be a problem: especially for Germany," said energy expert Georg Zachmann to spiegel.de
Fewer deliveries: Gas stocks in Germany lower than in previous years
The problem: This winter of all times, the gas storage facilities in Europe are significantly less full than in previous years.
According to Gas Infrastructure Europe, there is currently a shortage of almost 170 billion kilowatt hours compared to 2020/2021 - around one and a half times Germany's consumption per year.
Recent exports show that Russia is willing to deliver less gas: since the beginning of October 2021, the state-owned company Gazprom has been delivering significantly less gas to Europe than in previous years, despite current record prices.
The group delivered an average of just 1.74 billion cubic meters by mid-January, fewer than it has rarely seen in the past seven years.
Spiegel.de reports on this.
Meanwhile, liquefied natural gas deliveries to Europe have risen sharply, both from Africa, the Persian Gulf and the USA.
Also by mid-January 2022, an average of over 3.17 billion cubic meters arrived.
However, Zachmann estimated that more would hardly be possible, since the huge tankers would only call at special port terminals built for them.
Despite high gas consumption: not a single LNG port in Germany
Although Germany burns more natural gas than any other EU country, the Federal Republic does not have a single LNG port to which liquid gas can be transported.
So far, corresponding deliveries have always been made via neighboring countries.
A big mistake, according to Zachmann.
"While other countries have opted for diversification when purchasing gas, Germany has focused even more on Russia with Nord Stream 2: against the declared will of many EU countries," criticized the expert.
"That was selfish.
And now there is a lack of flexibility when purchasing gas.”
It is still unclear whether an LNG port will be built in this country in the future.
While the energy company Uniper canceled such a project in Wilhelmshaven last year, two projects are still planned near Hamburg.
In any case, the construction of such a terminal is likely to take years.
Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline violates EU norms: Germany has to wait and see
Vladimir Putin himself has already assured that more gas can be delivered to Europe – but for this Germany would have to authorize the operation of the Nord Stream 2 Baltic Sea pipeline.
However, since the production, sale and transport of natural gas would only be managed by a single company in this case, the project currently violates an EU regulation.
In December 2021, Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) said that the pipeline “cannot be approved like this.”
If Gazprom now adjusts the structures and brings other companies on board, it will probably take several months before approval and certification.
In addition, the political issue surrounding Nord Stream 2 has become a highly explosive one with the deployment of Russian troops near Ukraine.
Accordingly, Baerbock expressed himself clearly during her visit to Russia.
Video: Annalena Baerbock threatens consequences for Nord Stream 2
Is Germany threatened with a natural gas crisis?
Experts advise turning down the heating
If there is no agreement and if countries like the USA are not able to supply more liquid gas, the situation in Germany could depend to a large extent on the weather. Energy expert Georg Zachmann explained in an interview with spiegel.de that Europe's gas consumption on ice-cold days is twice as high as on mild winter days. His pragmatic tip: use less gas before a mix of renewable energies offers different options in the future.
"The only quick solution to solving Europe's energy price crisis is to save energy," wrote the two energy experts Georg Zachmann and Simone Tagliapietra in an opinion piece in October 2021. Among other things, the scientists suggested asking citizens to save their energy Turning the heating down a single degree or even giving them financial incentives to save energy.
The situation has only gotten worse since the article.
Germany: Traffic light coalition disagrees over Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) recently emphasized that Nord Stream 2 is a commercial and not a political project.
For Putin, however, the undertaking is much more than an economic project, Lithuanian ambassador Ramunas Misiulis told ZDF.
The pipeline is "the prerequisite for further aggressive action against Ukraine."
Russia is still dependent on transporting its gas exports to the EU and Germany through pipelines that run through Ukraine.
Large parts of the Greens, the FDP and also the CDU share these concerns.
SPD General Secretary Kevin Kühnert, on the other hand, recently accused opponents of Nord Stream 2 of “talking about international conflicts” in order to be able to bury the project.
(n / A)