EC seeks to speed up investments in renewable energies and diversify gas supplies
The European Commission (EC) intends to make Europe independent from Russian fossil fuels well before 2030, starting with reducing its gas imports.
PHOTO: Europe's underground storage facility. EC
“We need to act now to mitigate the impact of rising energy prices, diversify our gas supply for next winter, and accelerate the clean energy transition. The quicker we switch to renewables and hydrogen, combined with more energy efficiency, the quicker we will be truly independent and master our energy system,” EC President Ursula von der Leyen said last night.
The EC has launched the REPowerEu initiative, a joint European action force that will focus on affordable, secure and sustainable energy supplies.
By diversifying gas procurement, speeding up the rollout of renewable gases and replacing gas in heating and power generation the EU can reduce its demand for Russian gas by two-thirds before the end of this year, claims EC.
The EC intends to present a legislative proposal by April, requiring underground gas storage tanks across Europe to be filled up to at least 90% capacity by 1 October each year.
“For the remaining weeks of this winter, Europe has sufficient amounts of gas, but we need to replenish our reserves urgently for next year,” the EC's Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson said.
Earlier this week, Russian majority state-owned Gazprom Neft claimed that replenishing Europe's gas reserves by next winter will require a substantial amount of gas injections, more than has ever been injected in a single summer season before.
