Boris Johnson endured ridicule from cartoonists when he went to Saudi Arabia of all places in search of a replacement for banned Russian oil.

Not long ago, London sanctioned Saudi government advisers for their involvement in the assassination of journalist Jamal Kashoggi.

Just before the British prime minister landed in Riyadh, the regime carried out a mass execution.

It was all the more pathetic when Johnson was unable to produce any results after his conversation with Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman.

Jochen Buchsteiner

Political correspondent in London.

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Previously, there was an expectation that he would get Bin Salman to ramp up oil production and maybe even present a "deal".

But when asked about it, Johnson could only reply: "You need to talk to the Saudis about this, but there was an understanding of the need to ensure the stability of global oil and gas markets and to prevent price explosions."

British commentators pointed out that Saudi Arabia has other priorities at the moment, particularly defending against Iran.

In view of the nuclear agreement, this is enjoying growing diplomatic support from the West.

This was underscored by the fact that British Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was released from Iranian imprisonment after six years of prison during Johnson's visit, after London had repaid almost half a billion euros in debt to Tehran.

The unproductive trip fuels concerns about the UK's energy situation.

Finally, London has announced that it will refrain entirely from Russian deliveries at the end of the year.

In comparison to Germany, the dependency is modest, but eight percent of oil and four percent of gas – that is the share of Russian imports – have to be replaced.

Three quarters of the primary energy requirement is covered by oil and gas.

It is doubtful that the failures can be compensated for by renewable energies.

Great Britain wants to quadruple solar and wind energy by 2030, but experts see no room for further increases.

Johnson: End 'addiction' to Russian energy

Part of Johnson's hopes rest on the North Sea, which produces 40 percent of the nation's gas needs.

Ten new offshore fields could soon be approved, but reserves are said to be largely depleted.

The idea of ​​domestic fracking has risen again.

The test systems were suspended in 2019 – now, according to Johnson, the controversial method should be looked at again “with a fresh look”.

However, the geological conditions on the island are not considered ideal.

Nuclear power, on the other hand, which is less controversial in Britain than in Germany, is difficult to expand in the short term.

Most of the 13 reactors are to be shut down by 2030.

Hinkley Point C, a new nuclear power plant, will not go online until 2026.

Financing it was complicated and controversial, not least because of the Chinese involvement.

At the same time, Johnson is banking on the expansion of nuclear energy and is also considering extending remaining service lives.

The coal industry allows for the quickest adjustments, but it hardly plays a role anymore;

by October 2024, coal-fired power generation should stop completely.

Nonetheless, a power plant was started up again in the fall, and now there are rumors that one of the last three active power plants is allowed to run longer.

This, in turn, has outraged climate advocates, who are reminding Johnson of his "green agenda."

In a newspaper article a few days ago, Johnson called on the West to end its "addiction" to Russian energy and spread optimism.

It is possible to do without Russian fuels and at the same time stick to the goal of a CO2-neutral economy by 2050.

The "Financial Times" quoted a minister as saying that Johnson was "trying to press all the buttons on the instrument panel at once".