Germany sounded the first official alarm about gas supplies on Wednesday, as the country comes to grips with the reality that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine may disrupt its energy supplies.
“There are no current supply bottlenecks. But we have to ramp up our precautionary measures to be ready in case of an escalation from the Russian side,” said Economy Minister, Robert Habeck.
Habeck’s decision puts the country on an early alert, as detailed in its emergency gas supply plan.
The three-stage emergency plan details ways to conserve gas, secure supplies, and make sure households have adequate amounts of fuel.
An emergency team is now being assembled to review Germany’s options.
At the moment, no systems to establish government oversight of distribution are being set up, though they could be, should the emergency level rise.
“This means all gas consumers from businesses to private households have to reduce their usage as much as possible,” he said.
The invasion of Ukraine has prompted a series of sanctions on Russia that have left it scrambling for foreign currency reserves.
However, Europe has not cut off its purchases of oil and gas.
Russian President, Vladimir Putin, has said Russia will soon only accept payments for gas in roubles, likely an effort to bolster its currency.
But Western countries said they will not comply.
Should the situation require Germany to implement its highest warning level, officials would likely take over distribution to make sure gas was available for protected customers, the minister said
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