The International Energy Agency calls for a 20% cut in gas consumption in Europe

Published
07/26/2022 17:10

Updated
07/26/2022 17:10

The president of the International Energy Agency (IEA), Fatih Birol, has urged this Tuesday to save 20% of the gas consumed in Europe so that the continent is ready to overcome next winter without shortages. Birol warned of the risk of a gas crisis and warned that Europe is not yet ready, so the next winter season will constitute a “historical test”, as he said in an interview with the German television network ZDF.

“If we don’t take serious action we can be confronted with a major gas supply crisis,” said the president of the IEA, and indicated that this would have “consequences” beyond the energy sector.

Birol described “step in the right direction” the agreement of the European energy ministers for an emergency plan with a gas saving target of 15%, but in his opinion this cut in consumption is insufficient. On the contrary, he set a 20% reduction as a goal and pointed out that great solidarity would be needed within the European Union (EU).

Reservations at 60% capacity

Birol was also concerned about the few reserves stored so far in gas deposits, which he said are on average at 60% of their capacity. “If we want to live a comfortable and normal winter in Europe, our gas tanks have to be 90% full before winter starts,” has declared.

The text agreed this Tuesday in Brussels by the community energy ministers The general objective of reducing gas demand by 15% at European level is setalthough it introduces numerous situations to which the interested countries may resort to request derogations.

This Monday the Russian gas giant Gazprom has announced a further reduction in gas supplies through the Nord Stream pipeline to 33 million cubic meters per dayhalf of what was exported up to now through the pipeline.