Accents of Europe

The European puzzle: how to break free from dependence on Russian energy

Audio 7:30 p.m.

Ursula von der Leyen said the EU was ready in the event of a gas supply suspension.

© Kenzo TRIBOUILLARD / POOL / AFP

By: Léa-Lisa Westerhoff Follow

2 mins

Greece plans to double its coal production.

The lignite power plants - a very polluting rock - will not close next year, as initially planned, their production capacity will increase until 2028. The objective: it is to reduce Athens' dependence to Russian gas and counter rising energy prices.

Because in one year, prices have jumped!

Natural gas increased by almost 79%, and that of electricity by 71%.

A surge that leads to inflation of almost 9%.

Unheard of in nearly 30 years.

The Greeks, already tested by 10 years of financial crisis, can no longer cope.

The report by Joël Bronner, in Athens.

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Poland and Bulgaria, 90% dependent on Russia, have had to do without Russian gas since Wednesday.

It could soon be the same in Serbia, this Balkan country is 89% dependent on Russian gas, but in the immediate future it is its oil supply that is threatened.

Neighboring Croatia, its main supplier, plans to turn off the tap if the war in Ukraine drags on.

Simon Rico

's explanations .

Spain is one of the few European countries with the United Kingdom not to be dependent on Russian energy.

Madrid mainly supplies itself with gas from Algeria and the United States.

But faced with dependence on the rest of Europe and since the start of the war in Ukraine, the Iberian Peninsula has been trying to relaunch a very expensive gas pipeline project that would link France to Spain via the Pyrenees to bring Algerian gas to all of Europe.

The explanations of

Elise Gazengel.

Biogas, this renewable gas produced by the degradation of organic waste could be an alternative to traditional gas.

In France, this anaerobic digestion sector has been developing for 10 years.

It has accelerated in recent years.

The Hauts-de-France region has 150 methanisation units, it is one of the leading regions producing this renewable gas in France.

Lise Verbeke

's report from

farmers who have started.

In Europe, just over 9 out of 10 young people are worried about the climate and the effects that its disruption will have on their lives, but this climate awareness is not necessarily synonymous with lifestyle changes.

The chronicle of

Alice Rouja.

(Rebroadcast April 28, 2022)

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  • Energies

  • Greece

  • Economic crisis

  • Poland

  • Bulgaria

  • Russia

  • Serbia

  • Croatia

  • Ukraine

  • Spain

  • UK

  • France

  • United States

  • Climate change

  • Youth

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