Germany braces for an end to reliance on Russian gas

theguardian.com:

Germans are being urged to brace themselves for the possibility of a slow down or complete halt of natural gas delivered from Russia after the government triggered an emergency plan to manage its supplies.

Robert Habeck, the economics minister, has pleaded with both private households and industry to be sparing with their usage, telling them: “We are now in a situation where every kilowatt hour of energy that can be saved, is helpful.”

The first part of a three-point emergency plan that decides how and where supplies would be directed in case of the flow of gas and oil being under threat was activated on Wednesday.

Hospitals and emergency services would be prioritised, followed by private households. Industries – which use a quarter of the gas delivered to Germany – would be the first expected to shut down.

Businesses are being urged to make individual cases for how much energy they would require in case supplies have to be rationed, according to the plan, which was drawn up in 2017. The effect on industry would be a stark and immediate negative impact on the economy, including on supply chains and employment.

The head of the association of German towns and cities, Helmut Dedy, on Thursday urged the government to “get serious” about tackling the challenges. He suggested the introduction of a speed limit on autobahns, of 10 km an hour, earning the backing of the environmentalist lobby group, BUND, which said it would also advocate the introduction of car-free Sundays and an end to short-haul flights.

Dedy said a halt in the flow of Russian gas or oil was now a realistic scenario and measures must be taken immediately not least to prepare people for the situation. “We don’t want any hysteria, but we do need a stronger awareness