New plan for gas consumption already responds to Portugal’s concerns – Energia
The latest proposal on a 15% reduction in gas consumption in the Union to prevent Russian supply cuts already answers some questions raised by Portugal, said the Ambiente in Brussels this Tuesday.
In statements at the entrance of an extraordinary Council of EU Energy Ministers, in which the 27 will try to reach a compromise around the proposal presented by the European Commission with a view to reducing consumption by 15% by the spring, Minister Duarte Cordeiro congratulates This is due to a more recent proposal for regulation, raised on a table by the European executive, which exceptionally contemplates already answering “some of the questions by Portugal and other countries”.
“I would like to note that Portugal’s solidarity was never at issue. Portugal has always been and wants to be solidary with the other European countries”, he underlined, noting, however, that there were issues that “were very important” for Portugal, namely the level of interconnections and security in the electricity sector, and which were duly signaled by the Government and possibly answered in the most recent version proposed that the 27 will compete this Tuesday. The first place in the presentation of the environment and Climate Climate which, on the occasion of the original presentation by Brussels last week, guaranteed that even, it was not the first place, it was from the original plan for Portugal, Portugal and the Iberian Peninsula have interconnections with the rest of Europe”, which “means that the availability of gas to other countries is not immediate, it requires that it be exported”.
“Portugalizes that, through the signal port and through the export of gas, we can increase solidarity with other European countries and put the gas where the gas is needed”, he said.
Duarte Cordeiro added a second major issue raised by Portugal, and “also very important”, is that one cannot “seek to solve a gas crisis by creating a problem and a crisis in the system”.
“Due to climatic conditions, we have a reduction in the production of hydroelectric energy in our country, and gas at this moment is necessary to always guarantee safety in the electric sector”, he explained.
“So these were the two we raised, who saw in this most recent proposal, which we raised, who saw in this most recent proposal, that it is necessary to wait for the various results of the extraordinary Energy Council to know if the most recent Energy proposal has a final .
Reiterating that “this proposal” presented to the Member States “answers to some central questions” that were identified being identified in this debate, the minister that, in terms of solidarity, “Portugal has always been and will always be present”, but “there are” conditions that matter to be answered”, arguing that the issues raised by Portugal, of interconnections and safety of the electrical system, “are very relevant issues”.
“All countries will contribute to the extent of their possibilities and measures, and it was very important for some specific measures”,
The European Union’s energy ministers will try this Tuesday to reach a consensus on the target to reduce 15% of spring gas, after consumption of novelties to cover the “geographical or physical situation” of the countries.
Days after the European Commission proposed a target for the entire EU of reducing gas consumption by 15% between August and April 2023, for fear of a disruption in Russian supplies to Europe this winter, the ministers in charge will contest, in Spain, initial measures for the extension of demand, after opposition from countries like Portugal, namely due to the lack of energy connection with the rest of Europe.
The document now contains changes to the proposal of the executive board and, according to the version approved on Monday by the ambassadors at the EU meeting, the preparation of this Energy Council is now planned, now foreseen that the studies may “have the possibility of requesting a derogation from the mandatory demand reduction obligation” in an emergency scenario.
The proposal, which Lusa had access to, specifies that such a derogation applies to “certain Member States, due to their specific geographical or physical situation”, such as differences in dependence on electricity production from gas, lack of synchronization with the European electrical grid or lack of direct interconnection in gas.
Admittedly, these countries may not be able to “release volumes in terms of emergency requests from other countries”, when the initiative provides for solidarity and gas reserves in the event of an emergency.
On Wednesday, the European Commission seeks a reduction target for consumption of 15% by the spring, compulsorily admitting the alert situation.
The objective is that, between August 1st of this year and March 31st, 2023, the Member States reduce their consumption of natural gas by 15% (compared to the historical average in that period, considering the years 2017 to 2021), from in order to increase the European storage level and create a safety cushion for emergency situations.
The geopolitical issues due to the war in Ukraine are already being affected by the European energy market, 90% of the gas that Russia consumes, by about 45% responsible, in relation to the problems between the EU members. In Portugal, in 2021, Russian gas represents less than 10% of the total imported.
The EU has received that Russia will stop supplying Europe in autumn and winter and, precisely on the eve of this Energy Council, the Russian Gazprom announced that it will reduce gas, as of Wednesday, the gas group Gasprom to Russia Europe through of the Nord Stream gas pipeline, justifying the reduction with the maintenance of a turbine, an argument considered not very credible by many Member States, including Germany.
When entering a meeting, also European Commissioner for Energy, Kadri can be considered as “politically for” and should not be “reasonable”.
“This is a politically motivated step and we have to be prepared for it. Precisely for this reason, preventing our gas consumption is a wise strategy”, he defended.