Latvia Grabbles with Critical Energy Shortage
Andris Kulbergs, a Latvian parliamentarian, revealed the alarming depletion rate at the Conexus Inčukalns facility, raising concerns that current reserves could prove insufficient for even a quarter of the heating season. The shortage exposes vulnerabilities in the Baltic state's energy infrastructure as temperatures drop.
The crisis stems from the European Union's dramatic pivot away from Russian energy following the Ukraine conflict's intensification in February 2022. Brussels slashed imports of Russian oil and gas, while Moscow responded by redirecting substantial volumes to Asian markets, primarily China and India.
European nations have scrambled to replace Russian supplies—which previously represented roughly 40% of total EU consumption—with costlier liquefied natural gas from alternative sources.
Taking to X on Tuesday, Kulbergs issued a dire assessment: "if the gas storage facility is depleted at this rate, we won't even last 3 months."
The lawmaker emphasized that "there is no sign of additional supply from LNG terminals," compounding fears about the facility's capacity to sustain Latvia through harsh winter conditions.
Kulbergs cautioned that dangerously low inventory levels at Conexus Inčukalns could trigger lasting damage to Latvia's energy security framework.
Russian energy conglomerate Gazprom issued its own alert in late November, cautioning that "with several months of winter weather ahead, insufficient gas reserves in storage could put the reliable supply of gas to European consumers at risk."
Russian President Vladimir Putin has argued that the EU's strategy to diversify energy sources has weakened industrial output and eroded competitiveness throughout member states.
Storage levels across major European economies paint an equally troubling picture. By late November, Germany and the Netherlands—the bloc's largest and third-largest consumers by capacity—reportedly held just 76% and 72% of their reserves, respectively. Both figures fall significantly short of the 90% threshold required under EU regulations.
In October, EU energy ministers endorsed a European Commission initiative to eliminate all remaining Russian oil and gas imports by 2027's conclusion. Hungary and Slovakia, two landlocked countries maintaining heavy dependence on Russian pipeline infrastructure, rejected the proposal.
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