EC to present EU crisis gas demand cut plan in July
The European Commission will present a coordinated EU gas demand reduction plan in July to help prepare the bloc for potential Russian supply cuts this winter, said EU energy commissioner Kadri Simson.
The aim was to save as much gas as possible ahead of any potential shortages through fuel switching and maximising renewables use, said Simson.
The EC would look at how critical gas supply was to different industrial sectors, based on social and economic criteria, gas dependency and the potential to use alternative fuels.
The EC was also on a diplomatic push with energy partners such as Norway, the US, Egypt and Israel to maximise potential alternative supplies to Russian gas.
It was currently negotiating a memorandum of understanding with Azerbaijan to double the capacity of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), she said. Gas flows to Europe via TAP reached their full capacity of 10bcm a year for the first time this year.