Russia – Pipeline closed in Poland, Bulgaria and Finland, flow to Germany, Austria and Italy significantly lower, no more cubic meters. France: Europeans condemn a threat Gas Vladimir Putin, the continent wants to benefit from the summer to fill its stakes.
In the fourth month of the war in Ukraine, Moscow It hurts and plays on the energy impact of the Europeans, 40% of the gas burned usually comes from Russia. These ratios were even higher in the East: 55% in Germany or 85% in Bulgaria.
For most Europeans, in the summer, there is no shortage of gas because there is no need to heat buildings. But the cuts come as countries have to take advantage of the summer to replenish their reserves, with a target of at least 80% by November in the EU.
France and Germany, among others, want to avoid panic and reassure their citizens: the share of the two countries is up 56%. The EU averages 52%, according to Gas Infrastructure Europe, which is better at the same time than last year, but below the previous two years.
“Russians have long used gas as a weapon”
The decline in deliveries has led to higher costs, especially for manufacturers in Germany. The benchmark price for natural gas in Europe, the Dutch TTF, rose to around 130 euros per megawatt hour (MWh) on Friday, about 100 euros on Wednesday and about 30 euros a year ago.
“The Russians have been using gas as a weapon for a long time,” Theory Brothers, a professor at Science Po Paris, told AFP. “The Kremlin uses the policy of uncertainty, one day something and the next day something else, to see our unity, to extend the market for goods and to raise prices.”
On Friday, the manager of the French transmission network, GRTgaz, announced that it would no longer receive Russian gas through the pipeline from June 15. This gas passed through only one point of contact with Germany.
France relies on Russia for about 17% of its gas, which can come in liquid form by pipeline (mostly) or by LNG carriers. The flow through this pipe has already been significantly reduced, but is now reduced to zero.
“Thanks to the gas supply we receive from other countries, our LNG terminals and our built-up stocks, we have a way to meet our gas needs,” said Agnes Bannier, Minister for Energy Change for AFP. -Runcher.
Purchase of LNG
The disruption comes as Russian gas company Gazprom cut its gas supply to Germany by 60% this week through the Nortstream 1 pipeline. Conflict with Putin, “said German Foreign Minister Robert Hebeck on Thursday. “This is how dictators and dictators act.”
The consequences are far more serious for France’s neighbors, not just Germany: Italy is 40% dependent on Russia and will receive only 50% of Russia’s gas demanded by its national company Eni on Friday.
Mario Draghi, the head of the Italian government in kyiv on Thursday, denounced the “political use of gas.” Officially, Gazprom stated the technical reasons for the Nord Stream 1 device, but European leaders did not believe it.
To replenish its underground reserves, Europe is looking everywhere for non-Russian gas sources through gas pipelines, but above all in liquid form, liquefied natural gas (LNG).
France has four terminals, which are used to receive LNG coming from LNG carriers and others are planned to be installed. According to GRTgaz it has already greatly increased its LNG purchases since the beginning of the war and its terminals are close to their technical maximum. France has become the largest buyer of Russian LNG in the world, according to the Center for Energy and Clean Air Research.
See also The Hoppost: Faced with the threat of a global food crisis, Zhelensky called for an end to the Russian blockade on Ukrainian ports.
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