EU: Energy shock blackout measures study – With teleworking and car use restrictions

The European Union is looking for solutions to the possibility that Moscow will close its gas taps.

According to the information, the Commission is eagerly trying to solve the energy crossword puzzle in front of them, as the scenario of a blackout – and in fact shorter than one could imagine – is undoubtedly real.

In such a case, the risk of causing an unprecedented and unpredictable shock to European economies and societies is extremely high.

According to a report by the Spanish “El Pais”, presented by “TA NEA”, the Commission is preparing and intends to present on May 18 an emergency plan for the actions to be taken in the near future.

According to the report of “el Pais”, the Commission is preparing and intends to present on May 18 an emergency plan for the actions to be taken in the near future.

A plan that covers, at least in theory, the case of a blackout in the inflow of Russian hydrocarbons into the European market and is based on the Regulation on Security of Supply, which has been in force since 2017 – and may, under certain conditions, be extended to oil. , despite being nominally concerned with natural gas.

The actions under consideration:

Teleworking up to three times a week can save up to 500,000 barrels of oil. One day of teleworking equates to 170,000 fewer barrels of oil per day.

2. Sharing a car with other people and mild financial support means 470,000 fewer barrels.

3. Reducing speed limits on motorways by at least 10 kilometers per hour equals 430,000 barrels less.

4. Sundays without cars in cities means 380,000 barrels less, while the use of odd-even in cities saves 210,000 barrels of oil. To save energy are also proposed: limiting the number of air travel for business purposes, using electric vehicles and trains instead of airplanes.

The aim is to ensure energy efficiency, primarily for households and vital public services, as well as for those sectors of production that are vital (as was the case with the first lockdowns of 2020, after the pandemic broke out. Covid-19).

Indicative of how far the case is other than simple is the fact that of the approximately 155 billion cubic meters purchased by EU Member States from Russia last year, it is estimated that only two-thirds can be covered within the year by other sources. .

Which means that there is practically a gap of more than 50 billion cubic meters, which is equivalent to the total consumption of Romania, Hungary, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – or more than half of the gas Germany needs.

At the same time, Brussels will try to ensure that no EU country gains a competitive advantage over another because it has access to more oil and gas. This means, in turn, that there will be a redistribution mechanism between the Member States, under the responsibility of the Commission, which is initially intended to operate on a voluntary basis and, if necessary, to be mandatory and to be accompanied by appropriate clauses.

In any case, in parallel with the processes at the institutional level, a campaign has been launched to reduce energy consumption, both by citizens and by states. It does not utilize the data and studies provided by the International Energy Agency, as shown on the map.

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