Around half of Germans expect a gas supply stop – the federal government calls for an early warning level

In a survey conducted by the Yougov institute, 49 percent of the more than 1,700 respondents stated that they believe Russia will stop supplying gas to the G7 states if the international community refuses to bill future gas supplies only in rubles. 35 percent do not believe this. According to Wednesday’s information, 17 percent did not provide any information.

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Russia’s President Vladimir Putin announced last week that gas deliveries to “unfriendly states” would only be billed in rubles. The group of seven leading democratic economic powers (G7) has rejected this.

Federal government announces early warning level of the gas emergency plan

Against the background of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, the German government is preparing for a significant deterioration in gas supplies. Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens) therefore put the early warning level of the gas emergency plan into effect on Wednesday in Berlin. This is for precautionary purposes. The security of supply is still guaranteed. According to the emergency plan, there are three crisis levels: early warning level, alert level and emergency level. Only in the emergency phase does the state intervene in the gas market. Household customers would then be particularly protected.

“There are currently no supply bottlenecks,” stressed Habeck. “Nevertheless, we must increase precautionary measures in order to be prepared in the event of an escalation from Russia.” A crisis team came together when the early warning level was declared. “The crisis team analyzes and evaluates the supply situation so that – if necessary – further measures can be taken to increase the security of supply. The federal government is doing everything it can to continue to guarantee the security of supply in Germany.”

According to the Ministry, the overall supply of all German gas consumers is currently guaranteed. Habeck appealed to all gas consumers to save gas. “Nevertheless, from now on every gas consumer – from business to private households – is also required to reduce their consumption as much as possible.” Every kilowatt hour of energy saved helps, said the Greens politician in Berlin.

The President of the Federal Network Agency, Klaus Mller, also appealed to consumers and companies to help out by making savings and making more purchases. The aim is to avoid a deterioration in the gas supply for Germany and Europe, he wrote on Twitter.

Habeck emphasized European solidarity. “The sanctions are effective because we, as Europe, stand together in the transatlantic partnership.” Even if you build LNG terminals in Germany or worry about further gas imports to Germany: “Of course we are also in European solidarity, just as we are now extremely dependent on Belgium, France and the Netherlands passing gas through.” If that didn’t happen in solidarity, “we wouldn’t be in a good situation”.

According to Habeck, the early warning level means that a crisis management team consisting of authorities and the energy suppliers will now meet daily at the Ministry of Economic Affairs. The gas suppliers and the operators of the gas pipelines are obliged to regularly assess the situation for the federal government. The Federal Network Agency will publish a status report every day from Thursday. The state has not yet intervened. Gas traders and suppliers, transmission and distribution system operators are taking “market-based” measures to maintain the gas supply: According to the ministry, these include using flexibility on the procurement side, resorting to gas storage and optimizing load flows.

Background to the declaration of the early warning level: Russia remains adamant in its demand that Russian gas supplies to Western Europe be paid for in rubles. By Thursday (March 31), on the orders of President Vladimir Putin, the modalities would be worked out so that the system would be “simple, understandable, transparent and implementable” for European and international gas purchasers, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday, according to the Interfax agency. “No one will deliver gas for free, and it can only be paid for in rubles,” he stressed once again.

Putin announced last week that Russia would only supply gas to Germany and other “unfriendly states” in exchange for payment in rubles. This would support the Russian currency, which has come under pressure. However, the group of G7 economic powerhouses, including Germany, as well as the European Union as a whole, oppose payments in rubles for gas.

Habeck confirmed on Wednesday that if Russia only accepts payment for gas imports in rubles, this would represent a breach of private supply contracts. In order to be prepared for possible supply restrictions or failures, the ministry had therefore declared the early warning level. The current situation in the gas network is being closely monitored and evaluated.

According to the emergency plan, there are three crisis levels. The early warning level means that there are “concrete, serious and reliable indications” that an event can occur which will probably lead to a significant deterioration in the gas supply situation – and will probably trigger the alarm or emergency level.

At the emergency level, there would be a “significant disruption” to the gas supply. The state would have to intervene to ensure the gas supply of “protected customers” in particular – these are private households, but also hospitals, fire brigades and the police.

BERLIN (dpa-AFX)

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