Russia’s invasion of Ukraine final month precipitated an vitality disaster that’s reverberating around the globe. Nowhere are the consequences felt extra intensely than within the European Union, which depends on Russia for roughly 40 p.c of its fuel and greater than 1 / 4 of its oil.
Russian fuel and oil exports
to the E.U. in 2021
Pure fuel:
5.6 trillion cubic ft
Oil: 2.3 million
barrels per day
Cubic ft of pure fuel have been transformed to barrels of oil equal.
Russian fuel and oil exports
to the E.U. in 2021
Pure fuel:
5.6 trillion cubic ft
Oil: 2.3 million
barrels per day
Cubic ft of pure fuel have been transformed to barrels of oil equal.
Russian fuel and oil exports to the E.U. in 2021
Oil: 2.3 million
barrels per day
Pure fuel:
5.6 trillion cubic ft
Cubic ft of pure fuel have been transformed to barrels of oil equal.
As European leaders scramble to search out options to imported Russian vitality, the query is whether or not this second will mark a turning level within the struggle in opposition to world warming — or only a change in fossil gas distributors.
Earlier this month, E.U. officers introduced a plan to curb Russian fuel imports by two-thirds by the top of the 12 months. The bloc goals to finish its dependence on Russian fossil fuels earlier than the shut of the last decade by ramping up renewable vitality initiatives that have been already underway.
This fast transition faces many financial, social and logistical hurdles — however it’s achievable, in response to analyses from the Worldwide Vitality Company (IEA), the Brussels-based assume tank Bruegel and the European Fee. Right here’s the way it would possibly work.
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Cuts of Russian fuel proposed by this coming winter
By this winter, consultants say, the E.U. can import extra fuel from different sources and put money into clean-energy infrastructure that may be rapidly deployed. Via a mixture of energy-efficiency measures and cutbacks in use, the bloc can even cut back its total vitality wants.
Cuts of Russian fuel proposed by 2030
Right here’s how the E.U. goals to remodel its vitality system — and sever its dependence on Russia — by the 12 months 2030.
Methods to chop dependence on Russian oil
In contrast with the E.U.’s plans to scale back its dependence on Russian fuel, its hope of finally attaining independence from Russian oil is technically simpler. That’s as a result of a big share of Europe’s oil imports arrive by ship, whereas most of its fuel from Russia comes by way of pipelines. Ships might be dispatched from around the globe to interchange Russian imports.
However there are main logistical and technical challenges looming which have made European leaders resist stress to hitch the U.S. and Canadian bans on Russian oil, at the same time as they’ve introduced plans to part out pure fuel.
First, rerouting oil shipments across the continent can’t occur in a single day. Second, European refineries are set as much as refine Russian crude oil and is likely to be much less environment friendly at producing gasoline and different petroleum merchandise with imports from different sources.
“In the meanwhile, Europe’s provide of vitality for warmth technology, mobility, energy provide and business can’t be secured in some other means,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stated earlier this month, calling Russian provides “important” to Europe’s financial system for now.
That leaves Europe and the remainder of the world with one lever to drag to curb each rising oil costs and Russian imports: decreasing demand.