社評0719 歐洲能源告急

歐洲能源告急

由於近來熱浪襲擊歐洲大陸， 致導能源天然氣需求量大增， 可能引起未來的能源危機。

和俄羅斯相連的北溪一號天然氣管，預計十天後可以開放運作， 但是俄國可能會把天然氣管關閉，以報復歐盟國家對俄羅斯入侵烏克蘭戰爭所作的制裁行動。

德國経濟主管人員警告要做最坏的打算 ，北溪管道每年向歐洲輸送五百五十億立方米之瓦斯，佔歐洲整個進口之百分之四十。

歐洲各國正在加緊腳步，儲存天然氣以應付冬季之來臨， 不幸的是，今年夏天，歐洲面對酷熱天氣及森林大火。

我們要再度呼籲俄烏戰事應該早日找到解決之方案 ，就以天然氣供應而言， 如果俄羅斯全面阻斷供應鍊， 必然會對歐洲各國之経濟帶來致命之打擊 ，尤其是德國， 許多中小企業可能會倒閉。

戰爭真是非常可怕的事，今年二月當俄羅斯以一幅軍事強國之姿態入烏克蘭 ，本來是以為以速戰方式打敗對方， 可是萬萬沒有料到，世界上四十多國力挺烏克蘭戰爭，拖到如今 ，双方軍民死傷慘重 ，逾千萬國民流離失所， 世界經濟也被搞得一團糟， 真是得不償失。

Europe Braces For A Potential Gas Crisis

Last week, because an historic heatwave has hit Europe, a full-blown gas crisis may face many countries there in the near future.

The Nord Stream 1 pipeline that links Russia’s gas to Europe is due to reopen in ten days after routine maintenance work. But the concern is that Russia will keep the tap turned off in retaliation for sanctions the European Union has imposed since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February.

Germany’s minister of economic affairs Robert Habeck warned that the country must prepare for the worst. He said anything can happen. It could be that the gas flows again and maybe even more than before. It could also be that nothing will come at all.

Last year the pipeline delivered 55 billion cubic meters of gas to Europe, or about 40% of the total imports from Russia.

The gas demand could not come at a worse time because of the record heat and the mountain wildfires. Soaring temperatures have also pushed up demand for electricity to power air conditioning units.

We are urging that the war in Ukraine should come to an end and the gas pipeline should flow. If not, many businesses in Europe will be cut off from their vital gas supplies and many more people will suffer.