Discussion of fears over possible gas shortages has returned to the German media, with the cold European winter seeing the country burn through its saved-up supply far faster than expected.
After a period of absence due to an abnormally warm late fall and early winter, the issue of possible gas shortages appears to have well and truly returned to the German media sphere, with the country reportedly consuming far more of its gas reserves than expected as a result of a cold snap that has hit northern Europe.
While experts have long feared the possibility of widespread energy shortages in Germany brought about by the nation’s loss of its Russian gas imports, many officials have maintained that — so long as the country is able to cut its consumption by 20 per cent — it should be able to escape this winter.
Despite initial optimism that such targets could be met however, statistics have now shown that the country has fallen far short of the mark, with Klaus Müller, the head of Germany’s Federal Network Agency energy watchdog, admitting that the country has not managed it.
“Most recently, we were only five per cent below the previous year’s consumption instead of 20 per cent,” the official said during an interview with Süddeutsche Zeitung.
Despite such a failure, Müller said that Germany should still manage to clear this winter without any shortages, though emphasised that things could end up getting much worse should savings not be made in the coming months.
“We don’t have to ring the alarm after two or three weeks like now. But it must not go on like this for the whole of January and February,” he remarked.
“…January and February are traditionally much colder than December,” he went on to say, warning that Germany could end up burning even more gas during these months than it is currently using.
Spectre of Blackouts Loom as Cold Weather Threatens German Energy Savings Plan https://t.co/WR1g5v34Tg
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) December 15, 2022
Overall, according to a report on Monday by Die Welt, Germany has about 88 per cent of its gas stocks remaining, with the country burning through its supply at a rate of knots since the current winter cold snap began. The stores were at 99 per cent just weeks ago.
Such a rapid escalation in consumption in the country prompted repeated pleas from Müller last week to save gas wherever possible, with the expert emphasising that radiators can be turned off in parts of the house, and that people do not heat their homes fully in order to stay warm.
“I hear about Whatsapp groups in which groups of friends have bets on who can last the longest without heating,” he told Süddeutsche Zeitung, before emphasising that he was not a “purist” on the issue, and understood that people needed to stay warm.
“If you or family members can’t or don’t want to sit under the covers on the sofa every evening, then at some point it won’t work anymore,” he said, admitting to the publication that he and his family relented to turning their own heating on at the start of December.
Nevertheless, Müller emphasised that a failure to save gas this winter not only poses an immediate danger to German energy supplies, but a far more long-term risk for next year, with it being unclear how the EU as a whole will be able to refill its gas storage without access to Russian hydrocarbons.
Serious gas shortages across the EU are now on the cards for next year, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has warned.https://t.co/ujqTjF3fPR
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) December 13, 2022
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.