A leading representative of the German energy sector warns of serious consequences for the industry if Russian gas supplies are stopped against the background of the Ukraine conflict. “Some companies would have to be switched off from the supply as of today,” said the boss of the energy company Eon, Leonhard Birnbaum, the weekly newspaper “Die Zeit”. Since the end of the heating period has almost been reached, a delivery stop would initially not have a drastic effect. “But next winter, the energy industry could probably no longer easily supply a number of industrial customers.”
Around half of the natural gas consumed in Germany currently comes from Russia. Birnbaum hopes that the Federal Republic will continue to receive gas from Russia. He points out that Moscow itself always delivered during the Cold War, although there were sometimes difficulties in supplying its own economy.
The consequences of the conflict for the gas market are not yet foreseeable. “There is much to suggest that prices will remain high for a long time,” said the Eon CEO. When it comes to end customer prices, the main thing is whether politicians lower taxes and duties to provide relief.