Atypical for the European spring frosty weather with heavy snowfalls cleaned up the reserves of Russian gas. The freezing countries of Europe hope that Russia will save them from the cold by additional supplies. Restrictions on gas consumption are introduced in Ukraine in the coming days. Due to a shortage of fuel, kindergartens, schools and universities can close for an unplanned vacation for the next five days - at least until March 6 inclusive, notes URA. EN. Then, if the weather does not change, the restrictions will have to be extended. Well, or in extreme cases, in educational institutions will be drowned in half the power: let the children engage in dank rooms, but there will be enough gas for everyone. "The action plan, starting from today, provides for the transfer of generating companies from gas to fuel oil. This will give us the opportunity to save around 15-20 million cu.. m of gas per day. We turned to production facilities, so that they revised the production plan with the condition of saving gas resources, "said Igor Nasalik, Minister of Energy of the Republic of Ingushetia. How will Kiev wriggle further - one god knows.

Since March 1, Gazprom was supposed to resume fuel supplies to Ukraine. However, at the last moment this decision was canceled. Russian company returned Naftogaz prepayment. The refusal to Gazprom was explained by the fact that the parties did not agree on an additional agreement to the current contract, which is necessary to start deliveries. The actions of Gazprom coincided with the decision of the Stockholm Arbitration, which decided to pay the Ukrainian company $ 4.6 billion. Meanwhile, Latvia also has a gas deficit. Due to peak consumption due to severe frosts, it is technically impossible to pump the required amount of fuel through a pipeline leading from Russia. This raises the question of creating mandatory gas reserves for the Baltic country, says the head of the company Conexus Baltic Grid, the manager of the Incukalns underground gas storage facility, Zane Kotane. According to her, last year less gas was pumped into the storage facility than usual. The country urgently needs new norms that would not only include the responsibility of the operator of the system, but also the involvement of users and traders in ensuring stable supplies, said the head of the enterprise. The situation with a shortage of fuel in case of extreme cooling should finally convince the opponents of the construction of the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline that Europe can not do without this highway. The leaders of the energy concerns of Austria and Germany are convinced of this.

In their joint statement, it is noted that the gas pipeline project does not create a one-sided gas dependence of Europe on Moscow. The volumes of gas that Europe needs are growing every year, while there are no consumers in the EU who would prefer to exchange Russian pipeline gas for more expensive liquefied gas from the United States. "Russian gas supplies are an essential component of this. In addition, there is no other country in the world with such large gas reserves, "OMV, Wintershall and Uniper.