The Guardian reported that the UK could cut off gas supplies to mainland Europe if the country faced severe gas shortages in the coming months.
It reported that the national grid could cut off gas pipelines to the Netherlands and Belgium in the event of emergency measures, as Russia’s military operation in Ukraine put pressure on global energy supplies.
In this regard, the Financial Times reported that shutting down the pipelines will be part of a four-phase plan that includes cutting off supplies to large industrial consumers and asking consumers to reduce household consumption.
However, according to The Guardian, the government and the national network are playing down the possibility, noting that a gas supply failure is a “highly unlikely” scenario.
European gas companies have warned that shutting down the pipeline could backfire on the UK.
“I would recommend the UK reconsider shutting down interconnects in the event of a crisis. Because while that’s good for the continent in the summer, it’s also good for the UK in the winter,” said Bart Jan Howers, head of the European Network of TSOs.
Earlier this month, owner British Gas Centrica signed a major supply deal with Norway’s state oil company Equinor to supply enough gas to heat another 4.5 million homes over the next three years.
Source: The Guardian