社评0719 欧洲能源告急

欧洲能源告急

由於近来热浪袭击欧洲大陆， 致导能源天然气需求量大增， 可能引起未来的能源危机。

和俄罗斯相连的北溪一号天然气管，预计十天后可以开放运作， 但是俄国可能会把天然气管关闭，以报復欧盟国家对俄罗斯入侵乌克兰战争所作的制裁行动。

德国経济主管人员警告要做最坏的打算 ，北溪管道每年向欧洲输送五百五十亿立方米之瓦斯，佔欧洲整个进口之百分之四十。

欧洲各国正在加紧脚步，储存天然气以应付冬季之来临， 不幸的是，今年夏天，欧洲面对酷热天气及森林大火。

我们要再度呼吁俄乌战事应该早日找到解决之方案 ，就以天然气供应而言， 如果俄罗斯全面阻断供应鍊， 必然会对欧洲各国之経济带来致命之打击 ，尤其是德国， 许多中小企业可能会倒闭。

战争真是非常可怕的事，今年二月当俄罗斯以一幅军事强国之姿态入乌克兰 ，本来是以為以速战方式打败对方， 可是万万没有料到，世界上四十多国力挺乌克兰战争，拖到如今 ，双方军民死伤惨重 ，逾千万国民流离失所， 世界经济也被搞得一团糟， 真是得不偿失。

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.