BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - Industry President Siegfried Russwurm does not yet see the danger of a gas shortage in Germany averted. "There is no reason to sound the all-clear," Russwurm told Deutsche Presse-Agentur. "No one can rule out the possibility that we are facing a harsh winter. That's why it's essential that companies, citizens and also the public sector save energy - whenever and wherever possible."
The president of the Federation of German Industries said, "It has always been clear that there are two major imponderables: the weather and how much energy we will have to export to our European neighbors, currently to France in particular. The ultimate stress test is not theory, but the reality of this winter and the winter to come. We have to get through this winter, then refill the storage and get through next winter as well. This is not a done deal."
A gas shortage would be more than just inconvenient, Russwurm said. "Forced shutdowns for businesses would be highly damaging. That means conservation efforts by everyone absolutely must continue." He said the industry has been saving gas, partly through efficiency efforts and replacing gas with oil, for example. "On the other hand, there have been significant production declines. That saves gas, but it's the last thing Germany, an industrial country, needs as a perspective."
For the winter of 2023/2024, gas storage facilities would have to be as full as they were in November of this year. "That's where the real stress test is yet to come. Because we have to bring in supplies from sources other than Russia. All the planned LNG terminals have to come online." With the first new terminal in Wilhelmshaven, the danger of a gas shortage is far from over, he said. "For a secure energy supply, we need to find more partners internationally who are willing to supply us with sufficient gas. And finally, we need to stabilize domestic gas production."
Russwurm also called for more speed in the energy transition. "Above all, politics must create appropriate boundary conditions for the necessary investments. In Germany, the energy turnaround is not hampered by a lack of will, but by implementation - and by a wide variety of local sensitivities. Necessary political and regulatory changes are taking too long. The expansion must far outstrip the current pace."
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has described the "very pleasingly fast" realization of the first LNG terminal in Wilhelmshaven as a "new German pace," Russwurm said. "That is indeed what we need - also for the expansion of grids and renewable energies. The German government's high level of ambition alone does not build a new wind turbine. Decarbonization will only succeed if everything runs like clockwork from now on."/hoe/DP/zb
