After a ten-day freeze, Russian gas is again flowing into Europe. The head of the German Federal Network Agency, Klaus Müller, assumed that utilization of the Nord Stream 1 central gas pipeline was 40 percent on Thursday and therefore the level before maintenance was reached, as he announced via Twitter. However: “Unfortunately, political uncertainty and the mid-June 60% cut remain.” Austrian climate protection minister Leonore Gewessler saw no reason for everything to go well.
During the regular maintenance of Nord Stream 1, it was uncertain whether and to what extent Russian gas supplies would resume. Because it wasn’t just the Berlin government that had repeatedly warned that permanent and reliable exports could not be assumed. Russia used gas as a weapon.
Despite imports from other regions, Germany is dependent on Russian gas – as are other EU countries. Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Commonwealth obtained about 40 percent of its natural gas from Russia; imports fell below 30% of the average for 2016-2021.
The Union is trying to further reduce its energy dependence on the Kremlin. To that end, EU members must save 15% of their average gas consumption over the past five years in the coming months. This is provided for in an emergency plan by the European Commission, which was presented on Wednesday. The agency also proposes auctions to compensate companies that want to reduce their gas consumption and sell gas to other companies, and limits on heating and cooling temperatures in public buildings.
Portugal against strangulation
But as soon as the Chairperson of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, presented the document and again invoked the solidarity of the member states, the first cracks began to appear. Reservations came from several countries. Portugal and Spain, for example, are against reducing gas consumption. Portuguese Energy Minister João Galamba told the newspaper Expresso that his country is “absolutely against” the EU’s disproportionate and unsustainable proposal. The EU plan does not address the specific hydropower needs of Spain and Portugal. Because of the current drought, both states are forced to generate more electricity from gas-fired plants.
The Spanish government is also unwilling to force consumers to limit gas consumption, as Energy Minister Teresa Ribera explained to local radio station Cadena Ser. “We are not going to introduce a law that dictates the temperature of thermostats in apartments.”
Poland, on the other hand, is faced with another requirement – that states update their own emergency plans. The Warsaw government does not consider this necessary. Because Polish gas storage facilities are already 98% full. The country was forced to act after Russia cut off supplies in April.
For comparison: Austrian gas storage facilities are currently half full, Germans about 65%. In both cases, however, more annual consumption is covered than in Poland.
Hungary trusts Russia
While Germany and Austria – like other neighboring countries – want to agree to help each other out in the event of a gas emergency, Hungary chose a different path last week. The government in Budapest has declared an energy emergency. This means, among other things, that the export of natural gas is prohibited.
Instead, this must continue to be obtained from Russia – and Hungary even wants to buy another 700 million cubic meters of gas. Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto traveled to Moscow on Thursday to discuss the matter.