Nord Stream 1 will be shut down for maintenance on Monday. Will Russia resume gas supplies afterwards? The economy is very concerned about a top meeting with Chancellor Scholz.
Industry President Siegried Russwurm does not rule out a complete cessation of Russian gas supplies. “The decision lies with a man in the Kremlin,” said Russwurm on Friday before a top-level meeting of German business with Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) in Munich. “You have to prepare for the worst, hope for the best and not talk about the crisis.”
Gas supply will be one of the main topics of the traditional meeting of the Chancellor and the four leading business associations at the Munich Crafts Fair. On Monday, the Nord Stream pipeline through the Baltic Sea will be shut down for maintenance that was announced months ago. The fear is that the Russian side may not be able to resume deliveries after the maintenance is completed.
Is stable supply at risk?
In southern Germany in particular, with its large industrial locations, there are concerns that if Russian deliveries are stopped, the pressure in the German gas network will no longer be sufficient to ensure a stable supply. “It can be,” Russwurm said. “All these emergency regulations, how to deal with gas shortages, are made for local disturbances. What happens in the event of a fundamental gas shortage in this gas network is not known from experience.”
Russwurm suggested examining short-term replacement solutions: “In Bavaria, we would do well to consider whether there are other connections that can be strengthened relatively quickly, such as connections to northern Italy.” Perhaps the LNG terminal in Trieste is the better entry point than via lines from Belgium and the Netherlands.
Vote with neighbors
According to Russwurm, the stability of the German gas supply also has an impact on neighboring countries: “You have to see the whole thing in a European context,” said the BDI-Cef. “Our neighbors in the south and east, the Austrians, the Czech Republic, are partly attached to our lines, and we in Bavaria, conversely, are loosely attached to the Italian ones.” Whatever is decided in Germany must be coordinated with the neighbors.
The host of the top-level discussion is the German Confederation of Skilled Crafts. In addition to the BDI, the heads of the Employers’ Association and the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce also take part. The meeting at the trade fair last took place in 2019 with Scholz’s predecessor Angela Merkel (CDU). In the past two years, the meeting had been canceled due to corona.
Source: Stern
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
