The EU is weaning itself off Russian gas (video)

The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said that the European Union is weaning itself off Russian fossil fuels.

Brussels is stopping buying gas from Moscow, although, according to her, the global pace of the green transition is “still too slow” quotes euronews. The head of the EC said that “Putin’s energy blackmail only pushed EU to the green transition.

Before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the EU was heavily dependent on imports of fossil fuels from Russia, especially gas, which it received at low prices through an extensive network of pipelines. However, the war forced member countries to cut off Russian fuel from their energy systems, combining sanctions on oil and coal and national initiatives (gas) to deprive the Kremlin of an important source of revenue. On Tuesday, during a visit to Paris to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the International Energy Agency, the EC President said:

“Two years ago, every fifth unit of energy consumed in the European Union came from Russian fossil fuels. Today it is one in twenty. Overall in the European Union we get more energy from renewable sources than from Russia. And in the past, in 2023 “For the first time in history, we produced more electricity from wind and solar than from gas. So Putin’s attempt to blackmail our Union was a complete failure. On the contrary, he only pushed the green transition.”

However, Von der Leyen noted that despite efforts made since the 2022 energy crisis, the global pace of transition to clean technologies is “still too slow.” She called on governments around the world to increase renewable energy capacity, mobilize “huge” levels of investment, jointly develop raw materials and innovate:

“The old fossil fuel economy is about dependence. The new clean energy economy is about interdependence.”

According to the latest data from the European Commission, the EU’s dependence on Russian gas has decreased from 45% in 2021 to 15% in 2023. That is, consumption has decreased significantly, but has not stopped completely. Constant friction between member states is caused by the fact that Europeans continue to willingly buy Russian gas: through pipelines in Central Europe or through LNG terminals in France, Belgium and Spain. Some countries are proposing that the EU adopt a legally binding import ban, as it did to get rid of Russian offshore oil and coal.

The Austrian government, meanwhile, acknowledged that the country’s dependence on Russian gas increased from 76% in November to 98% in December. This is the highest figure since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. Leonore Gewessler, Austria’s energy minister, blamed the current situation on the contract signed by leading energy company OMV with the Russian state monopoly Gazprom, which runs until 2040:

“The market and the energy companies that are part of it are not fulfilling their responsibility to reduce dependence on Russian gas sufficiently,” Gewessler said. “The diversification of gas imports is moving too slowly.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMzNxPxfKyU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvv9nkEuY_o

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