Despite numerous efforts to diversify gas imports and reduce gas consumption, Germany could still experience a shortage this winter, at least locally or regionally (despite the fact that it has already filled its gas storage sites to more than 85 percent, four weeks ahead of an October 1 target). In countering Russia’s strategy of gas weaponization, Germany could be less reactive and instead unilaterally declare a “price ultimatum” to the Kremlin. It could use and bundle Europe’s purchasing power against Moscow to reduce Russian gas and oil prices and significantly decrease the Kremlin’s revenues from European gas and oil exports. Though this would temporarily lead to a short gas shortage over the winter, it would also help industry, private households and the German government plan more securely, allowing for more effective gas saving.

The more Russia decouples from the globalized system, the more it will try to evade Western sanctions by relying on illicit, unconventional and opaque trading schemes. Already during previous decades, Moscow falsified and cherry-picked economic, energy and climate-related data – often unchallenged by Western governments. Now these figures will become even less transparent, more dubious or will be classified as state secrets. Still, it is also becoming evident that sanctions alone will not stop President Putin’s aggression.

“The overall situation in terms of China has become even worse over time and around 80 percent of all critical raw materials [are] coming from China,” said Frank Umbach.

Täglich entweichen Millionen Kubikmeter Methangas aus den beschädigten Nordstream Pipelines. Warum gehen Experten von Sabotage aus und welche Folgen erwarten das komplexe europäische Gasleitungssystem?

Die Zerstörung der Erdgaspipelines Nord Stream hat den europäischen Ländern vor Augen geführt, wie verletzlich ihre Energieversorgung ist. Neben Anschlägen gelten vor allem Cyberattacken als grösstes Risiko.

Radio-Interview mit dem DLF: Das Machtwort des Kanzlers – Interview mit Dr. Frank Umbach

Dr. Frank Umbach spricht im Interview mit Phoenix am 24.10.2022 mit den Moderatoren Bernd Rasem und Florian Bauer zur Ukraine-Konferenz in Berlin und den Bedingungsfaktoren für erfolgreiche Wirtschaftshilfen und -kooperationen mit ukrainischen Unternehmen. 

Dr. Frank Umbach spricht im Interview mit Phoenix am 15.11.2022 über die deutsche Gaspolitik, die Versorgungssicherheit im Winter und die Implikationen des Imports von Flüssiggas.