EU could replace Russian gas within a year - report

Warsaw Business Journal ^ | 26th March 2014 | Warsaw Business Journal

[WhiskeyX]

According to Brussels based think-tank Breugel, the EU could replace all of the gas it receives from the EU within the year. “It would be a significant challenge, but not impossible,” the report wrote.

EU imported 130 billion cubic meters of gas from Russia in 2013, with some significant changes in its energy policy, such volume could be replaced by gas from other sources.

Breugel proposes increasing gas imports from North Africa and Norway, using and importing more LNG, switching energy consumption for natural gas to other fuels are a number of solutions the think-tank proposes. EU countries, especially the Netherlands could also increase their own production of gas.

The report also proposes storing some of the EU gas in the west-Ukrainian storages during summer when the fuel consumption in lower than during the winter months.

[....]

PM Tusk believes that a common EU negotiating strategy on gas purchases would be the best and most efficient way of helping Europe become free of any Russian influence on gas deliveries to the 28-nation bloc.

[Sacajaweau]

http://www.lithuaniatribune.com/67724/lithuanian-gas-says-reaches-deal-with-gazprom-on-gas-price-cut-201467724/

[snoringbear]

“Such dirty tricks are one of few things Russians have always been good at.”

Well, could be. But, I think you may be giving the Russians a little more credit than they deserve. Liberal Europeans aren’t any different than Americans liberals. Both are ridged ideologues who care less about average folks who they claim to care so much about. Hypocrisy abounds for sure...

[Grzegorz 246]

“you may be giving the Russians a little more credit than they deserve.”

Perhaps but just a little more... Some of those activities are becoming common knowledge.
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/377201/putins-anti-fracking-campaign-robert-zubrin/page/0/1

“Liberal Europeans aren’t any different than Americans liberals.”

They are far worse actually. I'm not saying that without Russia there wouldn't be eco-nazi/pro-homo/anti-military and overall tree hugging approach in the west but they sure make use of it empowering groups promoting that nonsense. It is nothing new, during the cold war they were behind most of “peace movements”. Both Russia and China have been using these tricks and the west is a sitting duck on this one. “Liberal democracy” unfortunately offers plenty of opportunities for sabotage activities.