The Federal Association of Energy and Water Management (BDEW) looks back and forward. Russia sent gas to Germany for the last time a year ago. what has happened since.
The energy industry described the cessation of Russian gas deliveries to Germany a year ago as a “huge cut” for the German energy supply. “Replacing this failure was and is a huge challenge,” said Kerstin Andreae, Chair of the Executive Board of the Federal Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW).
On August 31, 2022, Russia pumped natural gas through the Nord Stream 1 Baltic Sea pipeline to Germany for the last time.
BDEW recalled that before the start of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, more than half of the gas consumed in Germany came from Russia. “As recently as May 2022, the Russian share of natural gas consumed in Germany was 37 percent, before it fell permanently to zero percent from the beginning of September.”
Appeal to consumers: save energy
Thanks to the good interaction between the energy industry and politics, it was possible to ensure the energy supply at all times even without Russian gas supplies, emphasized Andreae. The European internal energy market has also made a decisive contribution to this. In Germany, contracts have been concluded with new supplier countries, agreements with other supplier countries have been expanded, gas storage facilities have been filled and LNG terminals have been set up in record time. “Within a few months, the gas supply in Germany was successfully put on a new footing.”
The association appealed to consumers to pay “particularly close attention” to energy consumption in the coming winter. The gas storage tanks are already more than 93 percent full. “That gives us security, but it’s no guarantee that we’ll get through this winter well. We’re not over the mountain yet,” said Andreae. It is therefore also important this winter to save electricity and gas.
Source: Stern
