Germany issued an "early warning" of possible natural gas shortages on Wednesday over a payments dispute with Russia that could lead to energy rationing in Europe’s biggest economy.
Moscow said last week that it wanted to be paid in rubles, rather than US dollars or euros as per existing gas supply contracts, and threatened to cut off supplies if that didn’t happen. The Kremlin’s demand has been rejected by Germany and the G7 group of leading developed economies.
The German government said Wednesday that the country had enough gas for now, but it urged all consumers — from companies to hospitals and households — to reduce their use as far as possible with immediate effect.
"There are currently no supply shortages," Economy Minister Robert Habeck said in a statement. "Nevertheless, we must take further precautionary measures to be prepared for any escalation by Russia." German gas storage is currently filled to 25% capacity, he added.
The "early warning" is the first of three alert levels set out in Germany’s plan to manage gas supplies in a crisis. If the situation deteriorates, the government would declare an "alarm," followed by an "emergency." At that highest state of alert, regulators can ration gas to maintain supplies to "protected customers" such as households and hospitals. Industrial users would be the first to face cuts.
"This means that industrial production gets lost, that supply chains get lost," Leonhard Birnbaum, chief executive of German energy group E.ON, told public broadcaster ARD, according to Reuters. "We are certainly talking about very heavy damages."
Klaus Mueller, head of Germany’s energy market regulator, said in a tweet that Wednesday’s alert was aimed at avoiding a deterioration in gas supplies but said consumers should be prepared for &quoxjmtzywt;all scenarios."
The European Union depends on Russia for about 40% of its natural gas, and Germany is Moscow’s biggest energy customer on the continent. EU sanctions imposed on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine include a ban on new investment in energy projects but do not target oil and gas exports.
Habeck said this week that payment in rubles is not acceptable to Berlin and he has described Russian President Vladimir Putin’s demand as "blackmail."
Putin has given Russia’s central bank and Gazprom, the state gas company, until Thursday to come up with proposals for accepting payments in rubles, rather than U.S. dollars or euros as agreed in supply contracts.
With the sanctioned Russian central bank banned from swapping euros and dollars for rubles, Moscow is trying to find a new stream of cash it can spend easily.
Putin could "directly finance the war, the army, the supply of the soldiers, the supply of gasoline for the tanks and the construction of weapons in his own country" with rubles, Habeck said Monday.
The European Union is planning to slash consumption of Russian natural gas this year by as much as 66% as it prepares for a complete break with its single biggest energy supplier. But Europe would struggle to survive for long without Russian gas, and finding alternative sources presents a huge logistical challenge. A recession would be all but assured if Putin cuts off supplies.
Habeck said a crisis team of experts from government, regulators, gas network operators and Germany’s 16 federal states had been convened to monitor the situation closely and take measures "to increase supply security" if necessary.
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Gas prizes are displayed at a gas station at a highway near Frankfurt, Germany, Wednesday, March 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)
