China News Agency, Berlin, March 30. German Deputy Chancellor and Minister of Economics and Climate Protection Habeck announced on the 30th to activate the first level of the natural gas emergency supply plan, the early warning stage, in preparation for Russia to stop delivering natural gas.
Habeck also deployed a crisis team that day to continuously analyze and assess the gas supply situation.
If necessary, the group can exclude certain consumers from the supply network to improve supply security.
Harbeck emphasized that the security of natural gas supply in Germany is still guaranteed, and there is no supply bottleneck.
Nonetheless, precautions must be stepped up to prepare for an escalating situation.
It is reported that the German natural gas emergency supply plan is divided into three levels.
Among them, the warning level means that there are "specific, serious and reliable indications" that an event that may lead to a significant deterioration of the supply situation may occur, or will trigger the alarm level or emergency level.
The emergency level represents the most severe stage, and the state will intervene in the market to distribute the gas.
At that point, specific consumer groups, including private households, hospitals, fire departments and police, will be particularly "protected" when it comes to securing gas supplies.
It is reported that Germany issued this warning against the background of Russia's request that "unfriendly countries" can only pay for imported natural gas in rubles from April.
The German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DIHK) called the early warning announcement "responsible" but warned of possible "extreme economic consequences".
"In the next few months, if the supply is cut off, many companies will close." Peter Adrian, chairman of the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that if a company cannot produce plastic, many packaging for daily necessities or the production of pharmaceutical products cannot be produced. Finish.
In addition, Adrian expects electricity prices to explode in addition to gas prices.
"It will also affect companies that don't use gas very much. So the economic consequences are far worse than imagined." (End)