China News Service, July 12 (Zhang Naiyue) At 7:00 on the 11th Moscow time, data from the pipeline operator Nord Stream AG showed that the "Nord Stream-1" natural gas pipeline, a key route for gas transmission from Russia to Europe, has been suspended. A 10-day routine maintenance began.
Data map: Gazprom's headquarters in Lakhta Center, St. Petersburg, Russia.
The Russian-Ukrainian conflict comes amid strong concerns in Europe.
Many European countries, mired in an energy crisis, fear that Russia will permanently shut the gas valve after a maintenance period.
If this is the case, the bitter fruit of Europe's backlash due to sanctions against Russia will become more difficult to swallow.
Where does the worry come from
Europe is highly dependent on Russian energy. After many rounds of "sanctions and counter-sanctions", the amount of energy Europe obtains from Russia has dropped significantly, and energy problems have gradually emerged.
Data map: Employees of a natural gas transportation company in Hungary check the pressure in the natural gas pipeline.
Soaring gas prices have plunged Europe's largest economy into its worst energy crisis since 1973 after Russia slashed gas supplies to Germany in June, according to an analysis by the Financial Times.
At the end of June, German Deputy Chancellor and Minister of Economics and Climate Protection Habeck announced the activation of the second level of the three-level emergency plan for natural gas, the "alert" phase.
Harbeck has repeatedly called on people to save energy and said he had to "dramatically reduce" his bath time.
In some parts of Germany, even limited hot water supply, lowering the temperature of swimming pools and dimming street lighting have begun.
In addition to advocating for energy conservation in the present, the idea of "early storage" is also widespread in Europe.
The Angers Group, EDF and Total Energy published a joint open letter in the French daily newspaper Le Monde, calling on consumers and businesses to "immediately" start reducing energy consumption in response to energy demand this winter.
The European Council approved a rule on June 27 that would require member states to hold gas inventories at least 80% of their gas storage capacity by this winter and 90% by next winter.
However, with Gazprom's announcement twice in June to reduce the gas supply of the "Beixi-1" natural gas pipeline to Europe, this goal seems to be becoming more and more distant.
In order to solve the urgent need, only "reverse the car"?
Energy, livelihood, and economic issues are intertwined, and Europe has to start looking for solutions.
A worker operates a coal excavator in Greece's largest lignite mine on June 2, 2022.
On the one hand, many countries choose to return to the old energy sources - oil and coal.
The German government announced on June 19 that it will increase the use of coal and increase the power generation of coal-fired power plants; Austria, which has completely eliminated coal power generation, is also planning to return to the coal era.
The Netherlands plans to lift output caps for coal plants; coal plants in Italy have struggled to stockpile coal over the past few months.
Energy-intensive companies in France have begun to speed up contingency planning and retrofit gas-fired boilers to use oil as fuel in response to power outages triggered by cuts in Russian gas supplies.
"We can even switch to coal if needed," said Michelin, a well-known tire maker.
However, the reversal of energy sources considered to be “more polluting” is bound to seriously undermine the EU’s confidence in achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
Another way to convert energy is to find "alternative paths" beyond the traditional supply path.
Bulgaria, which is highly dependent on Russian gas, has agreed to buy U.S. liquefied natural gas and intensified talks with Azerbaijan on increasing gas supplies.
The German Chancellor and Deputy Chancellor have visited one after another this year, trying to import natural gas from Qatar, Senegal, Norway and other places.
The president of the European Commission has also traveled to the eastern Mediterranean, hoping for additional LNG from Israel, Cyprus and Egypt.
In addition, the EU is also pinning its hopes on accelerating renewable energy projects, such as increasing wind and photovoltaic capacity.
Is there a solution to the energy crisis?
In the short term, as European countries are still highly dependent on Russian natural gas, it will not be easy to get rid of "path dependence".
Data map: European Commission President Von der Leyen.
Reactivating coal may ease some of the pressure from energy shortages, but it runs counter to Europe's previous "carbon reduction" commitments and will inevitably face obstacles.
European Commission President von der Leyen even previously warned countries not to abandon long-term efforts to cut fossil fuels and that governments need to continue to focus on "large-scale investment in renewable energy."
The International Energy Agency (IEA) also believes that the reversal of coal is a cause for caution.
On the other hand, whether it is to develop import channels or increase new energy sources, it is "difficult to quench thirst in the near future" and the cost is high.
Therefore, Europe's concerns about energy may continue for some time.
In the long run, since natural gas reserves are still below the target, and as the conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues for a long time, there is no sign of a significant increase in supply, European countries may have to start with “savings” and further call for energy conservation.
At the same time, governments of various countries also need to formulate response plans as soon as possible under pressure to protest and question the public.
If a unified and feasible plan cannot be worked out in time, then, as the energy and economic situation deteriorates, it may further intensify the differences within the EU and bring about more far-reaching effects.