Gas, Ursula von der Leyen: Europe will not have 30 billion cubic meters

The gas emergency in Europe does not stop. If the situation for the next winter is manageable thanks to the stocks filled in the last few months, there will be a different situation from next summer, when the tanks will have to be refilled. Our continents will struggle to find the energy they need and will be short of 30 billion cubic meters of gas. “The next filling season – at the end of this winter – will be even more demanding. We will face 3 main obstacles – said the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen in her speech at the plenary of the European Parliament in Brussels – Firstly, Russia could decide to completely stop its gas supply to Europe. Second, global LNG capacity will not grow fast enough to fill this gap. And third, growth in Asia could absorb most of this additional LNG. Due to these factors, Europe may not have around 30 billion cubic meters of gas next summer to fill our deposits. We are now preparing to face these risks, and in doing so, we are paving the way for the future. Because our choices today will determine whether we have the energy we need for 2023 and beyond. But we must act now”.

“If we reinforce RepowerEu’s financial firepower, we will ensure that all Member States have the opportunity to make the essential investments” to “reduce energy demand and increase renewable energy production”. This was stated by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, in her speech to the European Parliament. Raising Repower’s budget, von der Leyen added, “would give every Member State an equal opportunity to prepare for the future and, at the same time, some fiscal space to support vulnerable businesses and families.” “This work is also useful in the context of an intensifying global race for clean technology,” concluded the president.