(MENAFN- Trend News Agency)
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 9. Switzerland will
have to reduce consumption of Russian gas in the event of
interruptions in its supply to Europe, Thomas Hegglin of the Swiss
Gas industry Association (VSG) said, Trend reports citing the AWP financial
agency.
According to Hegglin, despite this, the country will have an
advantage over other countries due to gas supplies from Azerbaijan
and North Africa.
'We must be prepared for this. The shortage of Russian gas
supplies cannot be fully compensated within Europe, at least in the
short term, and without reducing its consumption,' he noted.
'However, even in this scenario Switzerland will have an advantage,
because it will be able to continue to receive gas from the south -
from North Africa through Italy, as well as from Azerbaijan.'
If there was a shortage in Switzerland, the Confederation would
take management measures, the VSG's expert stressed.
'The measures include switching to fuel oil for consumers'
dual-fuel (in which fuel oil can be replaced by natural gas), calls
for savings and limiting requirements for large consumers. However,
Swiss gas supplies are now largely secure. There should be enough
gas for its industry, even though prices are at an exceptionally
high level,' Hegglin further noted.
'However, securing gas supply in the coming winter could be a
big challenge. That is why the Federal Council already decided on
the measures at the beginning of March. Thus, it is expected that
gas companies will be able to start joint purchases of gas, storage
capacity and liquefied natural gas (LNG),' he added.
Solutions for next winter
According to Hegglin, VSG intends to propose a possible solution
to the Federal Council, together with the responsible departments
and authorities.
The EU wants to reduce imports of Russian gas by two-thirds by
the end of the year compared to the previous year. More than 40
percent of imported gas comes from Russia: in particular, Germany
depends on Russian imports. In comparison, gas consumption in
Switzerland is very low and accounts for about 15 percent of the
country's total energy demand.
Azerbaijani gas supplies to Europe via the Southern Gas Corridor
began on December 31, 2020. For the first time in history,
Azerbaijan exported its natural gas to the European market through
pipelines. With direct access to the European market, which is the
world's largest importer of natural gas, Azerbaijan has diversified
its export opportunities. TAP, which is the European part of the
Southern Gas Corridor, will annually supply eight billion cubic
meters of gas to Italy and one billion cubic meters of gas to
Greece and Bulgaria.
To date, Azerbaijan's gas exports to Europe via TAP have reached
10.9 billion cubic meters.
Tags:
- Switzerland
- Azerbaijani gas supply
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