Europe will unveil natural gas demand-reduction targets #ItsHappening 🇪🇺
✂️ EU will propose a voluntary 15% cut in gas use by members from Aug. on fears Russia may halt supply
🔪 The measure also would include a mandatory trigger if the situation worsens
The EU officially releases their plan: "Save Gas for a Safe Winter"
➡️Reduce gas use in Europe by 15% until next spring
➡️Members States should update national emergency plans to show how they will meet the reduction target
➡️Member States should exhaust all fuel substitution possibilities
➡️ Priority should be given to switching to renewables or less carbon-intensive or polluting options. However, switching to coal, oil or nuclear may be necessary
Meanwhile, the EU says a key pipeline turbine is in transit and should be delivered to Russia on time ✈️
Russia has said it can't fully revive Nord Stream flows without the crucial turbines (which were stuck in Canada after maintenance due to sanctions)
UPDATE: Early grid data showed the first orders via the Nord Stream natural gas pipeline for Thursday -- an indication of buyers’ expectations, though far from a guarantee flows will resume 👀
If flows restart, they will still just be ~40% total capacity
Where in the world is the Nord Stream gas turbine? 🧐 🌍
🇩🇪 Turbine is now stranded in Germany because Russia hasn’t provided paperwork
🇷🇺 Putin threatened to further cut natural gas flows to Europe as soon as next week if the part isn’t delivered
🇨🇦 The turbine, only a spare part for the pipeline, was sent to Siemens’ Montreal site for repairs but became stranded in Canada last month due to sanctions on Russia
📉 Russia cut gas supply to Europe via the Nord Stream pipeline to 40% last month, blaming the missing part
Where in the world is the Nord Stream turbine? 🎶 🎶 🎶
💰 Asia’s LNG spot price discount to Europe shrank in the last week, indicating that utilities in the Pacific are paying more to try to attract more supply
(Europe has been outbidding Asian rivals for spot LNG supply so far this year due to an acute need to refill inventories)
🇨🇳 To be sure, China (world’s top LNG importer last year) has been noticeably absent from the spot market due to virus restrictions curbing demand
If China economic activity recovers, that could change and result in fewer LNG cargoes for other nations
Moscow has been curbing gas shipments to Europe for months, but the continent needs the fuel to refill inventories 🇪🇺
Without Russian gas, Europe is unlikely to have enough supply to warm homes and keep the lights on throughout the winter 🥶
But even if pipeline flows resume today, they may be under threat later
Putin said flows could be cut to 20% as soon as next week if a turbine, a key part that pushes the gas, isn’t sent home in time after being caught up in Canada due to sanctions
Texas' grid operator says there is enough supply to meet the surging demand 👍
Still, power demand records are falling at an unprecedented pace (within days and weeks), whereas in the previous decade it took one to four years for Texas electricity usage to post a new record
Extreme heat is boosting power demand in these places:
🇺🇸 Texas
🇬🇧 UK
🇪🇸 Spain
🇫🇷 France
🇨🇳 China
🇸🇬 Singapore
🇰🇷 S Korea (early July)
🇯🇵 Japan (late June)
It's looking unlikely Russia will fully restart a key natural gas pipeline this week 🇷🇺
🔧 Repaired turbine for Nord Stream to arrive in Russia on July 24, Kommersant says. It will 3-4 days to set up
🔧The compressor will be ready to pump in early Aug.
➡️ Flows via Nord Stream shrank to just 40% of its capacity last month due to the missing turbine, which was stuck in Canada because of sanctions
➡️ Then the pipeline was fully halted on July 11 for planned maintenance, which is scheduled to last until July 21
Now the big question: Will Russian pipeline flows to Europe rise even if it installs the missing turbine?
🇩🇪 Leaders in Germany/other European countries say that Russia used the turbine as an excuse to cut deliveries
⚠️ EU nations are bracing for less Russian gas for longer
Japan is exploring new rules to increase nuclear power generation 🇯🇵 🔍 ☢️
💰 The government could create an “income guarantee program” to promote construction of reactors, the Nikkei says
💪 Policymakers see nuclear as a way to build energy security
Japan’s effort to boost nuclear power may get a boost after the ruling party cemented its majority in an election last week ☢️
There appears to be a shift in public stance toward nuclear. The last time nuclear policy was being considered in 2014, there wasnt much public support