29/05/2014
Ukrainian gas debt is estimated at four billion dollars
The European Union is not ready to cope with the supply of Russian gas
The European Commission said that the European Union is able to meet a Russian gas supplies through Ukraine, which transports temporarily, but practically it is not ready to invest in infrastructure for liquefied gas if he wants to reduce its dependence on Moscow. And after settling differences over Ukraine's debt worth four billion dollars (2.9 billion euros) owed there, Russian group threatened to halt delivery of gas on the third of June, said Gunter Uttingr Commissioner. He asked Uttingr ' we may face a situation when Russia stop delivering gas to Ukraine and gas purchased by the European Union, and in this case are the quantities purchased by Poland, Hungary and Slovakia reach? The European Union was faced this problem in 2006 and 2009. According to the ' French ', said Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, the bloc remains in a weak, because it imports ten years ago 53 per cent of the amount of energy consumed by what it costs $ 1 billion a day (734.8 million euros), the main supplier is Russia for 39 per cent of the gas purchased by 33 per cent of Gas purchased and 33 per cent of the oil. The European Commission mandated in March EU leaders will work to find options to reduce this dependency, and recognized Union of two large, containing a study on the energy security and the plan of action, the options ranged from the development of renewable energy resources and investment of coal, nuclear and gas. While Barroso said in the Energy Conference in Brussels ' that these options are very good package ', a European source said that in the event of a crisis as of next winter if a ' Gazprom ' gas supplies to Ukraine, the EU would face difficulties. The EU imported 480 billion cubic meters of its own in 2013, and delivered ' Gazprom ' 133 billion cubic meters to 63 billion dollars passed through Ukraine. In the event of a suspension of the transfer of Russian gas via Ukraine to the European Union with others, using reserves, and Member States are currently 47.3 billion cubic meters of gas in reservoirs which 58.6 per cent of their capacity for storage.
But to show solidarity with the most affected by the halt of gas supplies, the reserve would survive for long unless a reduction of internal consumption in States most dependent on this gas. Europeans can also switch to other destinations with conventional gas like Norway, but the country is currently producing at full capacity and would not be able to secure surplus of 130 million cubic meters per day but for a few days, a European source said, in the long term, Norway which sells 99 billion cubic meters of gas to the European Union will be able to increase the quantities delivered to 109 billion cubic meters. The source added that the increase in buying liquefied natural gas alternative too, but prices are high over Russian gas, that States can make use of ' Gazprom ' that can increase the amount of gas passing through the gas pipeline Nord Stream that connects directly from Germany, but this solution reinforces dependence on Moscow and Russian President Vladimir Putin called for Europeans to support the construction of gas pipeline around Ukraine especially project South stream.
' Gazprom ' watching closely European projects, but does not show any fear, the group said the two agents with Germany (43% of acquisitions) and Italy (35 per cent) rely largely on supplies because the alternatives are very difficult and LNG option remains very costly. Frank-Walter Steinmeier Said, the German Foreign Minister ' that energy policy must not be part of the political crisis between Ukraine and Russia. Added ' we know that disturbances in the power supply may cause damage to all parties, so we must try to ensure that affected energy policies, energy supply by wider political conflict between East and West, between Russia and Ukraine, between Russia and the European Union, and I believe that it is in the interest of Russia to purely economic considerations, but damaged the country's credibility on the economy and energy. Russia had warned it would cut gas supplies to Ukraine on 3 June if Kiev paid in advance for the next three months' supply, sparking concerns that affected supplies to Europe. And with renewed confidence with the election of a new President of Ukraine in early Week said Arsenie yatsiniok Prime ' gas talks with Russia could not make progress until he heard the Moscow regarding the return of 2.2 billion cubic meters of gas it took when Russia annexed the region to the Black Sea in March last year.
