Russian gas flows to Europe have been shrinking in the past few days, deepening the continent’s energy crisis. German transmission system operator Gascade said flows at Yamal terminus Mallnow had dropped to zero. Data from Slovakian TSO Eustream also showed that Russian gas flows via Ukraine through the Velke Kapusany entry point would decline to just 43 Mcm. Low gas inventories pushed European wholesale natural gas prices to record high in October. Analysts said the energy crisis is a result of Europe’s ambitious climate targets and its hasty transition to green energy sources.
However, activists argued that the crisis was caused by Europe’s over-reliance on gas. Hence, it highlights the need to expand the continent’s renewable energy capacity to be more energy independent. Activists also urged European governments to tap resources from the European Green Deal to renovate buildings, replace home heating with clean fuels, and expand wind and solar infrastructure. They said the US and Russia are using the crisis to try to export more gas and LNG to Europe.
