Concerns about the coming winter: Habeck sees energy supply secured

Worried about the coming winter
Habeck sees energy supply secured

Germany has to change its energy supply anyway. The Russia sanctions could accelerate this. There are fears that if Germany stops importing Russian energy, buildings will remain cold and dark. But is that true?

Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has warned against an import ban on Russian energy. If all energy imports were stopped overnight, “that would mean that we would no longer have electricity or heat in a few weeks,” says the Green politician. “How many days would we be able to sustain that people can’t drive to work, that we don’t have electricity in kindergartens, that we can’t really keep hospitals running?” However, the scenario Baerbock warns about is highly unlikely.

Could there be a ban on Russian energy imports?

Could it get cold in German apartments? Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock warns against a ban on Russian energy imports.

(Photo: picture alliance/dpa)

That could happen sooner or later. Either because Russia is stopping exports to Germany and the European Union – or because the EU states want to punish the Russian leadership around President Vladimir Putin in their campaign against Ukraine. However, the federal government is still resisting a European energy embargo because Germany is particularly dependent on Russian energy.

How much energy does Germany get from Russia?

According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the share of Russian imports in fossil gas imports to Germany is around 55 percent, coal around 50 percent and crude oil imports around 35 percent. According to the Federal Ministry of Economics, the German gas storage facilities are about a quarter full as of this Friday. This status is “not good”, but not “worrying” either. The security of supply is guaranteed. “We’ll get through this winter,” promises Economics Minister Robert Habeck.

Could there be supply shortages for hospitals and households?

That is extremely unlikely. On the one hand, Habeck makes it clear again and again that the energy supply is secured for the last cold weeks of this winter. Rather, he is worried about the coming winter. Should there actually be bottlenecks, the gas emergency plan would kick in. Gas is particularly important for heat supply. According to the plan, “particularly protected customers” are private consumers and particularly important infrastructure, which also includes the healthcare system and educational institutions – i.e. the hospitals and kindergartens that Baerbock is talking about. In order to secure their supply, the supply of the industry would have to step back. Habeck warns that this would hit the German economy hard.

And what about electricity?

Unlike in the heating sector, this problem does not exist at all because Germany is not dependent on Russian imports. The Federal Republic even exports electricity.

What is the federal government doing to free Germany from Russian energy imports?

The federal government used state funds and political talks to ensure that the gas storage facilities, which were at a low level, did not run completely empty, says Habeck. “The coal reserves at the power plants also last into the summer.” The companies also concluded new supply contracts. “Every day that passes makes us a little less dependent on Russian imports of oil and coal, and we are also in the process of supporting the gas supply contracts so that we can get more gas in via LNG.” Germany is planning its own terminals for LNG (liquefied petroleum gas) in Brunsbüttel and Wilhelmshaven. In the long run, the government wants to massively push ahead with the expansion of renewable energies – but that won’t help next winter.

What about the prices?

They are already rising and should continue to do so. Should there be a stop to gas imports from Russia, gas prices would continue to rise, said energy expert Malte Küper from the German Economic Institute. “That would mean that many companies would have to shut down their production for economic reasons.” In order to counteract this, the federal government has already decided on initial relief for citizens, and more are likely to follow. “Of course we have to prevent people from falling into poverty, from companies tipping over, from people no longer being able to pay their energy bills,” says Habeck, who promised “specific relief”. The government will look at the development and then decide on it.

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