Germany is optimistic. The country is now “in a much better position” to face “threats” from Russia, in particular the gas crisis triggered by Moscow in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Tuesday. The statement comes as the giant Gazprom prepares to interrupt its gas deliveries via the Nord Stream pipeline for three days on Wednesday due to “maintenance”.
All the measures taken by Germany to guarantee its supply have “contributed to the fact that we are today in a much better situation than envisaged a few months ago”, judged the chief executive in front of the press, before the start of a government seminar in Meseberg, near Berlin.
“We can face the threats”
“And we can deal with the threats that we face, from Russia, which is using gas, for example, as part of its own strategy in the war against Ukraine,” the Chancellor said. Germany is heavily dependent on Russian gas and has seen its deliveries drop sharply since the start of the war in Ukraine on February 24. Gas flows have fallen to 20% of the main Nord Stream pipeline’s capacity, with the European Union accusing Moscow of using the energy as a “weapon” in the conflict.
Faced with the risk of shortages, Berlin therefore set a series of objectives in July for gas stocks to reach 95% by November 1, before the onset of winter. To do this, the government has adopted a series of resource-saving measures, including increased use of coal, reduced consumption by public buildings and incentives for businesses.
Berlin has also released an exceptional envelope of 1.5 billion euros to buy liquefied natural gas (LNG) in order to ensure its supply, from Qatar and the United States, in particular.
On Sunday, Economy Minister Robert Habeck announced that gas reserves were filling up “faster than expected” in Germany despite drastic drops in Russian deliveries. The storage target set by the government for October, at 85%, “should be reached from the beginning of September”, according to his ministry.