The British government could stop natural gas exports to mainland Europe if the energy crisis escalates further and the country faces gas shortages, reports the business newspaper Financial Times.
The United Kingdom transports gas to the European mainland via pipelines to the Netherlands and Belgium.
According to the newspaper, this concerns gas that is transported via so-called interconnector pipelines. The potential export freeze is part of a contingency plan by British utility National Grid to prevent impending gas shortages.
Other precautions include, for example, stopping gas supplies to major industrial consumers and calling on households to use as little gas as possible. National Grid would like to conduct a stress test for that emergency plan in September.
The British government has previously said that a real gas crisis is unlikely and that the country has one of the most reliable and diverse energy systems in the world. London has “complete confidence” in its energy supply.
European gas companies have called on the United Kingdom to work with countries of the European Union to deal with the gas crisis. Russia has completely turned off the gas tap to several European countries and significantly reduced deliveries to Germany. As a result, there are concerns that gas supplies cannot be filled sufficiently before the winter.