Politics & Regulation

Rift between Germany and Russia (© Shutterstock/Ink Drop)
Rift between Germany and Russia (© Shutterstock/Ink Drop)

Germany Making Great Strides In Weaning Itself From Russian Energy

Germany is taking concrete steps to end its dependency on Russian energy:  Imports of oil and coal from Russia will come to an end during the course of 2022.  Stopping the flow of natural gas to Germany will not happen as quickly, but Chancellor Olaf Scholz assures us it will be "very soon."

Eastern Mediterranean satelite image (© Shutterstock/Capitano Footage)
Eastern Mediterranean satelite image (© Shutterstock/Capitano Footage)

EastMed Gas Pipeline of Common Interest in Europe amid Tensions With Russia, Talks Revived

The urge for Europe to diversify away from Russian energy supplies amid the Russia-Ukraine crisis has revived talks about the EastMed gas pipeline, which carries gas from Eastern Mediterranean to South-East Europe and Greece.

The European Commission, however, insists on the need for the project to prove its commercial viability before approving it.

Flags of Spain & Italy (© Shutterstock/Aritra Deb)
Flags of Spain & Italy (© Shutterstock/Aritra Deb)

Italy's Draghi Discussed Italy-Spain Pipeline Idea with Sanchez

Italian Prime Minister, Mario Draghi, announced on Thursday, March 31, 2022, that he had discussed plans to construct a gas pipeline from Italy to Spain with the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, in a bit to help Europe is shifting from Russian gas dependency.

Draghi said that they discussed the idea of the Italy-Spain pipeline both in Rome and at the European Council.

The flag of the USA (© Shutterstock/Graeme Dawes)
The flag of the USA (© Shutterstock/Graeme Dawes)

Washington Fed. Regulators Scale Back Gas Pipeline’s Environmental Impact Assessment Plan

Federal energy regulators on Thursday March 24, 2022 rolled back plans to consider conducting an assessment to determine how natural gas projects affect climate change, citing pushback from lawmakers and the industry leaders.

Robert Habeck - Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (© Shutterstock/Alexandros Michailidis)
Robert Habeck - Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (© Shutterstock/Alexandros Michailidis)

German government prepares for shortfall in gas supplies from Russia

The German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) today declared the early warning stage of the Gas Emergency Plan as a precautionary measure. A reliable supply continues to be guaranteed, Federal Minister for Economic Affiars and Climate Acrion Robert Habeck emphasized.

Sign on the office building of the NaftoGaz Group in Kyiv (© Shutterstock/Ksenia Lada)
Sign on the office building of the NaftoGaz Group in Kyiv (© Shutterstock/Ksenia Lada)

Russian Natural Gas Still Flowing Through The Ukraine to Europe

As war continues to rage in the Ukraine, Naftogaz, the state energy company responsible for operating the country's network of 38,550-km of gas pipelines, works around the clock to service 12 million households in the Ukraine as well as myriad customers in the European Union.

Reichstag building, seat of the German Parliament (Deutscher Bundestag), in Berlin (© Shutterstock/MDart10)
Reichstag building, seat of the German Parliament (Deutscher Bundestag), in Berlin (© Shutterstock/MDart10)

German Government Mandating Natural Gas Storage Fill Levels Be Sufficiently High

In the wake of the 2022 winter which saw the gas storage fill levels sink to historic lows, the German Bundestag met over the weekend to affirm that the gas storage operators are required to fill storage facilities up to 90 percent of capacity by 1 November of each year.  To this end the Bundestag passed a corresponding law.  

Flags of Germany and Norway (© Shutterstock/ruskpp)
Flags of Germany and Norway (© Shutterstock/ruskpp)

Germany and Norway Agree To A Feasibility Study On Building A Hydrogen Pipeline

Germany's Economy and Climate Minister Robert Habeck visited Norway earlier this month to discuss how Germany and Norway could work together to develop a hydrogen pipeline link between the two countries.  

Flag of Germany (© Shutterstock/Carsten Reisinger)
Flag of Germany (© Shutterstock/Carsten Reisinger)

Germany Contemplates Biogas Rather Than Russian Natural Gas

Is it possible to replace around half of natural gas imports from Russia with Biogas from Germany, and thereby dramatically reduce Germany's dependency on Russian energy?  

This is the question resonating around Germany and other European countries nowadays, as Vladimir Putin's Russia continues its War of Aggression on the Ukraine.  

Flags of Israel and the EU (© Shutterstock/NINA IMAGES)
Flags of Israel and the EU (© Shutterstock/NINA IMAGES)

Israel Gas Pipeline Could Supply Europe, Chevron CEO Announces

Talks of the EastMed pipeline, a sub-sea pipeline in the Mediterranean that could carry gas from Israel to European customers, has been revived amid gas shortage and skyrocketing prices in Europe following Russia’s attack on Ukraine.

Flags of Poland and Norway (© Shutterstock/Aritra Deb)
Flags of Poland and Norway (© Shutterstock/Aritra Deb)

Norway-Poland Natural Gas Pipeline to be Operational by November, Says Polish PM

Operations of Norway-Poland gas pipeline construction through Denmark have resumed, and the project is expected to be ready for first shipments by November this year, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said in Tuesday’s press conference held in Oslo.

Flag of the EU (© Shutterstock/ZoranKrstic)
Flag of the EU (© Shutterstock/ZoranKrstic)

EU Plans to Reduce the Block’s Dependency on Russian Energy

The European Union on Tuesday, March 8, 2020, unveiled new proposals that will enable the bloc to reduce its dependency on Russian gas by two-thirds this year and end it entirely by 2030, in the wake of the ongoing war in Ukraine.

The flag of Russia and Ukraine painted on a concrete wall with soldiers' shadows (© Shutterstock/Tomas Ragina)
The flag of Russia and Ukraine painted on a concrete wall with soldiers' shadows (© Shutterstock/Tomas Ragina)

Missiles Hit Gas Pipeline in Kharkiv and Oil Depot in Kyiv in the Ongoing Wave of Attacks

Russia's military on Sunday, February 27, hit an oil depot in Kyiv, and one of the critical gas pipelines in Kharkiv in a massive explosion took over the usually quiet city south of Kyiv. The Ukrainian government urged its residents to hunker down in homes, subway stations, and underground garages to protect themselves from the smoke following the strike.