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Perhaps the machinations of President Vladimir Putin will soon bear fruit: experts warn that Europe’s growing dependence on natural gas and coal from the east will lead to the Old Continent having to surrender to Russia’s mercy, writes the British newspaper Daily Express , quoted by “Focus”.
The Kremlin has already been heavily criticized for concluding a deal with Germany to build the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which some say experts undermines the national security of Poland and Ukraine. Experts have expressed similar concerns about the recent deal between Russia and Hungary: the two countries signed a 15-year agreement on gas supplies to Hungary through the Turkish Stream, which flows through the Black Sea. Now that Europe is gripped by a serious energy crisis, some fear that Vladimir Putin may de facto become the “energy king” of the continent.
The drop in natural gas supplies to Europe and the desire to switch to clean energy threaten to put the European Union in an extremely difficult position next winter.
Energy sources such as wind and sun, which are characterized by their unpredictability, may not be enough to provide Europeans with electricity and heat next winter. Europe must therefore look elsewhere for energy.
Meanwhile, over the past few months, natural gas and coal suppliers have benefited the Asian market, where energy demand is growing rapidly.
In an effort to alleviate the energy crisis before the onset of winter, Europe may want to turn to Putin to help meet Europeans’ energy needs. Meanwhile, there is no guarantee that Russia will have enough capacity to meet this sudden jump in demand. Some experts also warn that Russia may deliberately restrict gas and coal supplies to the European Union in order to use the current crisis against the bloc.
According to Natasha Tirina, a senior analyst at Wood Mackenzie, Russia may not be able to ensure Europe’s sudden transition to coal before winter. In an interview with Bloomberg, Tyurina said: “If all European utilities services switch to coal, this will cause a sharp jump in demand for coal and Russia alone will not be able to meet this demand in the short term. ” “This will require supplies from other countries, such as the United States, but there is a similar situation there,” she added.
Europe is not the only one facing the problem of energy and gas shortages. In China, for example, a serious energy crisis has erupted, threatening to affect the entire world economy. Earlier in September, the UK also suffered a blow when nine small energy suppliers went bankrupt due to low supply and growing gas demand.
According to Kiril Chuiko, head of the analytical department at BCS Global Markets, European electricity suppliers are desperate to secure coal and gas supplies from the east. At present, however, Russian interests are concentrated in Asia. “Russia has been reducing coal exports to Europe for several years since the EU closed coal-fired power plants,” Chuiko said. He added that it would be difficult for Russia to redirect supplies to Europe “because it has contracts with Asian customers” and transportation options are limited.
Meanwhile, the European Union has not yet formally asked the Kremlin to provide it with additional supplies of resources. On Thursday, September 30, Russian officials said they had not received such requests. They made the statement after Bloomberg wrote, citing sources in two Russian companies, that Europeans wanted more coal supplies. Russia’s Ministry of Energy said: “The Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation has not received any requests from China and European countries on issues of increasing coal exports from Russia.”
Earlier in September, experts warned that this energy crisis could turn heating into a kind of “luxury”. According to Chris Harvey, a central heating expert at the British radiator company Stelrad, companies across the country have calmed down in anticipation of what lies ahead: . If the winter turns out to be cold again – as happened with the previous winter, which left gas stocks in our warehouses at a critically low level – we can go back to the days when central heating in residential buildings was a luxury available only to wealthy people, and not in modern a convenience without which many can no longer imagine their lives. “
“This will be a worrying moment for many of our customers, who, given rising gas prices, may think twice for the first time in their lives before turning on radiators in their homes this winter.”
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