A high-ranking official in charge of energy policy in the EU = European Union responded to an NHK interview and said that Russia has drastically reduced the supply of natural gas. He acknowledged that the severe energy crisis will continue until 2020.
Commissioner Simson, who is in charge of energy policy at the EU, criticized Russia, saying, ``Russia is waging an energy war on Europe,'' about Russia's sharply reduced pipeline supply of natural gas.
After that, Commissioner Simson said, "Norway, which is connected to the pipeline, is increasing natural gas production, and in addition, it is procuring additional LNG through the international market and underground storage of gas." I explained the situation I was in.
However, he acknowledged that there is no room for procurement and that the severe energy crisis will continue until next year.
Simson said that expectations for hydrogen are increasing due to the energy crisis, saying, "It can be used for long-distance transportation and in factories, leading to decarbonization. So-called green hydrogen, which produces hydrogen from renewable energy such as wind power generation, is possible. I believe that by 2030, the price of hydrogen will be competitive with fossil fuels,” he said, expressing his intention to promote the use of hydrogen while cooperating with Japan and other countries in terms of technology.