If Europe were to no longer receive Russian gas, the first difficulties would appear with the filling of the tanks for next winter, warned Sunday the director general of Engie Catherine MacGregor in an interview with
Echoes
.
"
The real problem would be filling storage in spring and summer, in preparation for winter 2022-2023
," said the CEO of the French group.
“
It would be very difficult to find the necessary volumes and it would be very hard in the event of a long conflict in Ukraine
”.
Read alsoWar in Ukraine: the EU would manage to do without a third of Russian gas, at the cost of enormous efforts
"
In reality, we would then enter a new world for energy, under the effect of a physical shock and an unprecedented price shock which would undoubtedly transform the energy landscape for a long time
", analyzes Catherine MacGregor.
“
For the winter that is ending, there would be no supply problem, especially since it is rather mild.
Even being completely deprived of Russian gas, we could cope thanks to suppliers from other countries, by gas pipeline or by LNG tanker for LNG
, ”underlined the DG of Engie.
Russian gas represents 20% of Engie's supplies
Fear of disruptions in exports from Russia, which provides 40% of European gas imports, sent its price in Europe soaring to a new all-time high on Friday.
Russian gas represents 20% of Engie's supplies.
The group is negotiating additional volumes with Norway, the Netherlands, Algeria and the United States "
but we have to be lucid
", underlined Ms. McGregor: "
the levers that are in our hands are of limited scope .
They will not be enough to replace all the gas that comes from Russia today
”.
Read alsoWar in Ukraine: Algeria, a limited alternative to Russian gas
In the event of a cut, “
it is not unimaginable that the public authorities will put in place measures to limit demand
”, underlined the DG of Engie.
Both industrialists and citizens could also lower their consumption, particularly heating.
It would also be necessary to "
cap wholesale gas prices in Europe, which would have the merit by extension of limiting electricity prices
", and accelerate in renewable energies, whether wind turbines or biomethane, according to Ms. MacGregor.
