Before the war in Ukraine, Russia supplied Germany with just under a third of its natural gas. Britain relied on Moscow for less than 4% of its total gas supply in 2021. According to the plans, Germany will rely more on its coal-fired power plants, with a bill to be discussed in the upper house of parliament in early July. It is expected to enter the legislation soon afterwards. Mr Habeck said the German government was ready to take further action if necessary. He added: “This is bitter, but it is simply necessary in this situation to reduce gas consumption. We must and will do everything we can to store as much natural gas as possible in summer and autumn. “ The move comes after Siegfried Russwurm, president of the German lobby group BDI, said in an interview on Saturday that Germany had to “immediately” take the coal-fired plant out of stock. In the meantime, a new auction system will be introduced to encourage industrial companies to save fuel, which can then be transported to warehouses. A German government source told Reuters that the support would also include € 15 billion (12 12.8 billion) in support for the country’s gas market operator to fill storage facilities more quickly. Mr Habeck said: “Security of supply is currently guaranteed. But the situation is serious. “Gas consumption needs to be further reduced and in return more gas needs to be put into storage facilities, otherwise things will get really tight in the winter.”
