The upcoming winter will be difficult for European countries due to low gas storage reserves and supply problems, including those related to the EU's policy towards Russia. This was stated by Fatih Birol, head of the International Energy Agency (IEA), at an energy forum organized by Foreign Policy magazine.
„I think if you look at Europe, this winter will be very harsh for them. Europe has had many harsh winters recently, but this will be one of the harshest because gas storage levels in Europe are currently at historically low levels,“ Birol said.
Against the backdrop of historically low reserves, Europe is also facing supply problems, the IEA head noted. He pointed out that “European countries have decided to completely abandon Russian gas by 2027“ and that Europeans can no longer receive gas from the UAE and Qatar due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. As a result, European countries are forced to turn to the US and Norway for new supplies.