New Energy World™
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Racing against time as Europe tackles gas supply challenge
2/8/2023
6 min read
Feature
Germany’s bid to rid itself of dependence on Russian gas heralds a wave of energy security initiatives across Europe. But how well is Europe prepared? asks Selwyn Parker.
When LNG was delivered to Germany’s three hastily constructed terminals in early 2023, the shipments marked the country’s latest initiative to secure enough energy to make it through the coming winter without suffering drastic shortages and sky-high prices.
The deliveries also symbolised Europe’s race against time to rid itself of dependence on Russia’s pipelines, a race that could become desperate if Putin decides to turn off the taps, as some fear he will.
But even if the worst happens, the deliveries of LNG herald a new energy era for the European Union (EU) nation that has relied more than any other on Russian gas. As German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said recently, the country has learned its lesson. And it has learned it rapidly. ‘Germany is currently receiving no pipeline gas from Russia,’ the Oxford Institute of Energy’s (OIES) Dr Jack Sharples tells New Energy World.