The expert revealed who will be hit hardest by the lack of gas

MOSCOW, September 8 – PRIME. Western Europe has accumulated enough gas in storage and will survive the winter in any case, while the eastern countries of the region are at risk of experiencing a significant shortage. More prosperous neighbors will have to share with them, and gas prices against this background can jump sharply, Nikita Dobroslavsky, head of the Laboratory for Low-Carbon and Circular Economy at the Center for Sustainable Development at the Skolkovo School of Management, told Prime.

“You don’t have to worry about Germany and France, but the countries of Eastern Europe and the Balkans may face restrictions on gas supplies, since they are strongly “tied” to Russia,” the expert notes.

“If supplies stop, Europeans will have to share the gas they have with their neighbors. But this process will be targeted and very limited – there will be enough gas only for the essentials, and many industries may be in danger of closing,” he suggested.

In this situation, the launch of Nord Stream 2 is highly likely: despite the loud statements, the parties concerned are already negotiating this on the sidelines. “They are only waiting for some easing of the situation around Ukraine – as soon as this happens, the discussions will become more substantive, since everyone is aware of the risks for Eastern Europe,” the expert is sure.

Alternative gas supplies from fields in Canada are also discussed, but here there are difficulties with logistics – there are suitable ports in this country only on the west coast, and they are suitable for imports, but not for exports. Refinement will take a couple of years and will require investment, and deliveries along the Arctic routes are not a matter of the next decade. So the sea export of gas from Canada remains in the dialogue format for the time being, Dobroslavsky summed up.