China News Service, July 17 (Guan Na) This summer, a massive heat wave swept the northern hemisphere, adding another fire to the intensifying energy crisis.

　　On the 15th local time, the United Kingdom issued the first-ever red warning for extreme high temperature, and the temperature map was "red".

The analysis said the heat wave may worsen the UK's energy crisis, while the public is struggling with high electricity bills.

　　Not only the UK, but many places around the world are struggling with power shortages.

The heat wave is coming,

European countries return to the "coal-burning era"?

　　"Absolutely unprecedented," said Penny Endersby, director of the UK Met Office, commenting on the UK's first ever red warning for extreme heat.

On July 15, local time, the UK issued its first red warning for extreme high temperatures.

Image source: Screenshot of the British Sky News report

　　How hot is the UK?

Birds in the sky "heatstroke" fell to the ground; the apron of the Royal Air Force base was even heated.

　　Bloomberg said the heatwave scorching Britain threatens to worsen the country's energy crisis, with British households and businesses struggling with gas and electricity bills.

　　Electricity, water, and swimming pool closures... Another European country, Germany, is also doing everything possible to save energy.

A housing consortium in the German city of Saxony said it would supply tenants with hot water for a limited time.

Helmut Deddy, president of the German Association of Towns and Cities, said that "society as a whole" should now reduce electricity consumption and conserve electricity in summer, "so that we have warm apartments in winter".

　　How can Europe, which is already in deep energy crisis, withstand waves of heat waves?

Many countries choose to return to the "coal-burning era".

Coal power, which was once widely "disgusted", seems to have returned to people's normal life.

A worker operates a coal excavator in Greece's largest lignite mine on June 2, 2022.

　　German Economy Minister Habeck has said that due to the tightening of natural gas supplies, Germany has to reduce the proportion of natural gas power generation and burn more coal at the same time.

Italy, on the other hand, started to “hoard” coal a few months ago.

　　Before the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, Europe's rush to adopt renewable energy led to an energy dilemma due to a lack of consideration for the affordability, resilience and reliability of the region's energy and power systems.

The executive director of Europe Beyond Coal, a European environmental group, warned: "Decades of failed energy and infrastructure policies have led to Europe's current predicament, and Europe has to reconsider coal, regardless of the possible climate catastrophe."

　　However, analysts said that the switch to coal power will not only fail to fundamentally alleviate the problem of European energy shortages, but will also disrupt new energy development plans in European countries and adversely affect the EU's goal of achieving "carbon neutrality" by 2050.

many troubles,

Power saving has become a major issue

　　Europe is not alone in the power crisis.

　　At 4 p.m., the city government office of Mino City, Gifu Prefecture, Japan will turn off the lights on time, and the office area will suddenly darken, and some staff can only continue to work by relying on the light of the screen.

At night, roadside shops and supermarkets in many places in Japan have turned off the lights on their signs.

The vitality of the city also seems to have muted as the lights dimmed.

On March 22, local time, after the Japanese government issued an alert for power shortages in the capital and surrounding areas, only the lower half of Tokyo Tower was lit.

　　Faced with the intensifying power problem, the Japanese government first demanded power saving, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has recently spoken to restart the nuclear power plant.

　　Genkai Nuclear Power Plant Unit 4 of Kyushu Electric Power Company in Japan resumed power generation ahead of schedule on July 13.

However, Kyushu Electric Power also clearly stated that it is possible to start up but it is useless. "This cannot change the severe power supply situation."

　　How to maintain power stability will become one of the biggest issues facing Kishida after the Senate election.

　　Also suffering is the United States.

The heatwave overwhelmed power grids in much of the United States.

Texas, the largest wind energy state in the United States, has had a rough summer this year.

　　Due to the heat, wind speeds in the state have dropped to extremely low levels, and wind power is currently generating less than one-tenth of its capacity.

U.S. energy officials and members of Congress are urging more power transfers between regions.

Hot to the "electricity shortage",

Is the next "black swan" coming?

　　Why are there "power shortages" in many countries around the world?

There are two main reasons:

　　First, it was too hot.

Climate change is causing global temperature to rise and people's electricity consumption to increase sharply.

　　Second, there is not enough energy.

The global "power shortage" is largely due to the shortage of power generation energy supply.

　　As the conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues, the multiple rounds of sanctions imposed on Russia by Europe, the United States and other countries have also devoured itself.

Global energy prices have risen, and the pressure on energy imports from many countries has doubled, which has directly led to widespread power shortages.

Data map: Employees of a natural gas transportation company in Hungary check the pressure in the natural gas pipeline.

　　Some analysts believe that the risk of grid failure or power shortage in many countries around the world may be the next "black swan" in the market and a potential catalyst for chaos in the energy market.

　　In the latest report released by market research firm Cornerstone Futures analyst Kelly, three pieces of information were revealed.

　　First, electricity is needed to produce oil, and if the grid goes down, it will disrupt the oil supply chain;

　　Second, the risk that electricity will disrupt the oil supply chain is ignored, and this will become a "black swan";

　　Third, the "black swan" will bring new chaos to the global economy.

　　How to solve the power crisis in many places around the world?

Countries still need to rack their brains.

(Finish)