Litt mere optimistisk enn fela
Parts of Europe rely heavily on supplies of Russian natural gas and would struggle with a sudden shut off
www.nationalworld.com
Could Europe get gas from elsewhere?
The EU’s pipelines with Norway could bring 200 TWh more than they did last year, while North Africa and Azerbaijan could supply an extra 450 TWh between them.
Together, these options could be enough to replace the 1,700 TWh that Russia supplied in 2021.
The UK also has space in its pipelines to send another 400 TWh to the EU.
However, this does not mean that the supply is there - the gas will need to be pumped out of the ground in the US, the Middle East and elsewhere, and loaded onto a limited number of ships.
Sellers will then need to choose Europe as their destination above Asia and the Americas.
What could Europe do to reduce the amount of gas it needs?
Firstly, around 900 TWh of gas was burned to produce electricity last year - and some of this could be replaced by oil.
Secondly, if there’s good weather in Europe, that might turbocharge wind and solar farms.
Governments may also have to step in to tell people to turn down their thermostats.
Finally, steel, aluminium and silicon producers could choose to close or slow their production.