The International Energy Agency (IEA) 10-point plan contains a number of concrete avenues that one can take to reduce dependence on Russian gas, EU energy commissioner Kadri Simson said.

“In the short term, this comes through diversification. We have already seen a steep increase of LNG volumes to Europe in January and February. LNG imports are now around 10 bcm per month. Like the IEA Plan suggests, we have been reaching out to partners all over the world and this is paying dividends,” she said.

Simson went on to add that gas storage is another important element of the IEA’s plan.

“If current trends continue, the level of storage in Europe in April will be much lower than in previous years. We need to start immediately to secure sufficient gas storage for next winter, bringing it to or close to 90 percent. The Commission will propose concrete measures next week in this regard. Beyond the short-term, ultimately, the best and the only lasting solution is the Green Deal – boosting renewables and energy efficiency as fast as technically possible,” she added.

The commissioner noted that EU is still far too dependent on fossil-fuel imports; but boosting home-grown renewables help out of this trap.

“When we look at the quarterly report on European electricity markets published this January, we can see that in the third quarter of 2021 the share of renewables reached 37 percent, beating fossil fuels so fully implementing our Fit for 55 proposals alone would lower our gas consumption by 23 percent, around 82 bcm of gas, by 2030. And renewables, energy efficiency and building renovation, are expected to drive future job creation also in Europe. So, the Green Deal agenda is not only our climate proposal, but also one for economic growth and for energy security,” said Simson.

She noted that next week, the Commission will propose a pathway for Europe to reduce dependence from Russian gas as soon as possible and accelerate the progress towards a clean, secure and competitive energy system.