As is about to happen with new fuels, whose gas price will reach a maximum this Monday, March 7, and consequently electricity, will increase in the coming months. The alert was given this Sunday, 6th, by the former president of the Regulatory Entity for Energy Services (ERSE), Jorge Vasconcelos, who argues that Europe must find alternatives to external energy dependence, especially Russia.

“[A guerra na Ucrânia] confirm, once again, the need for Europe to think about its energy independence”, told the newspaper”Public“. Natural is the second fuel used by the 27-members of the European Union, after oil and the European situation (EU), and the usual states countries are already in shortage, with the Russian invasion of Ukraine it got worse, as Russia is the biggest exporter of natural gas to Europe, according to “Newspaper“.

The same newspaper that was created last year Nord Stream 2, a gas pipeline that reminds us of Germany and Russia and allows the supply of natural gas to Europe, with a capacity to transport 55 billion cubic meters of gas annually. However, with the escalation of the war, Germany decided to start the process of managing the Nord Stream 2 gas, necessary for it to be able to operate.

According to the “JN”, Western experts and political agents accept the dependence of the EU planned to deepen Germany’s dependence on the operation of treated gas to increase dependence on Nord 2. Also on prices that with this pipeline would not be so high.

Europe’s steps to curb Russian dependence

Just four days ago, on March 2, the value of natural gas reached a new all-time high: 194,715 euros per megawatt hour (MWh). It is a number never reached before and that ended up happening after Russia, the main producer and exporter of gas to Europe, went to war with Ukraine.

The question that arises is what can happen if Russia no longer gives in to Europe or if, on the other hand, EU member states refuse Russian natural gas as a form of protest against the war. The quick answer is that Europe. in a very weak situation

“It is not possible to replace all Russian gas with LNG [gás natural liquefeito]”, warned Thierry Bros, professor at Sciences Po Paris, in statements to the Agence France-Presse (AFP), as quoted by the “ECO“The statement comes after Brussels asked the EU to diversify its natural gas suppliers as much as possible, in order to avoid additional Norwegian gas”, continues the expert.

Alternatives? “There are always alternatives, they may not be the most environmentally advantageous or the cheapest”, recognizes Jorge Vasconcelos in statements to “Public“.

In the opinion of the former energy regulator, at the moment the ideal is “to allow economic agents the possibility of altering the portfolio of contracts they have and starting to be able to incorporate longer-term contracts”, he argues. This is because, according to Jorge Vasconcelos, “limiting the duration of contracts has consequences in terms of volatility in the prices of natural gas used for electricity generation”.

Portugal. What is being done and what will the prices look like?

Despite Europe being in an all-Russia non-energy situation, the problem is so serious for Portugal.

“It does not affect directly, since Portugal imports little Russian gas, which is transported by ship to the port of Sines”, can be read in the “JN”.

One of these ships with Russian arrived this Saturday, 5th, at the port of Sines and was received gas with horns as a form of protest at the fact that Portugal does not depend on natural gas from Russia, and, in fact, it has not received one of these ships for four months, according to CNN Portugal. At only 1.00%, consumption is not based on the ability to reduce natural consumption by 80%, since it only has a capacity lower than 80%, in the order of 80%, refers to the same channel.

In addition, apart from Russian gas, Portugal also receives gas from Nigeria and the US by sea and from Africa through pipelines that cross Spain, according to “JN”.