Britain may have to declare a gas emergency this winter abroad

Since Russia has turned off the gas tap for Europe, it is necessary to look for alternative suppliers. The British also produce natural gas themselves, but they still have to import a large part of it. There is a pipeline to Norway for this.

There was always a little gas to the UK from Russia, but the British imported gas from Europe when they were cold. Now there are no realizable surpluses.

In the letter, Ofgem says that “due to the war in Ukraine and gas shortages in Europe, there is a high risk of gas shortages in Britain this winter”. There seems to be a possibility that the state will have to declare a gas emergency.

More than eight in ten Britons heat their homes with natural gas. In addition, more than 40 per cent of the UK’s electricity is generated from gas-fired power plants. If there is a shortage of gas, large-scale consumers like these power plants risk shutting down temporarily, Ofgem says. This, in turn, threatens to impose millions of fines on electricity producers.

It is still not clear what effect this will have on the energy source. “We have to be prepared for all scenarios this winter,” Ofgem told the BBC. Analysts believe that liquefied natural gas (LNG) could continue to come to British ports, especially now that the British government has stepped in to pay the high bills.

See also: Russia no longer supplies oil or gas with a price ceiling

See also: The European Union wants to hit the Russian treasury hard with these measures