It should not have a major impact on gas supplies to Denmark that Ørsted will not meet a Russian demand to pay for gas deliveries in rubles. This is the assessment of the Danish authorities, according to Minister of Climate, Energy and Utilities Dan Jørgensen (S).
- We do not assess that this will have consequences for the security of supply in Denmark. It is not the case that we have a direct pipeline from Danish territory to Russia. We are connected to the European gas market via Germany. Therefore, we do not assess that this will pose challenges to our security of supply, he says.
The Russian energy company Gazprom has demanded that payments for gas deliveries be made in rubles instead of, for example, in dollars or euros as before. In Denmark, Ørsted is the one who delivers the gas. Here, like many other gas consumers, they have refused to change the payment to rubles. Ørsted has confirmed this again on Monday.
May have to find other suppliers
If Gazprom shuts off the gas taps as a result, Ørsted will have to find others who can supply the gas. But this should not have a major impact on gas prices, according to the authorities.
- It is not our assessment that this decision by Ørsted will have a major impact on prices in Denmark or Europe, says Dan Jørgensen.
- Even though Ørsted is a major player in the Danish context, it is a small player in this large complex context that the European gas market is. That said, it is a volatile (changeable, ed.) and uncertain situation that we are in now. We certainly cannot deny that we are looking at ever greater price increases. Not as a result of Ørsted's decision, but as a result of developments in the weeks and months to come.
Among the drastic changes that could occur is that the EU decides to close off gas imports from Russia, or that Russia closes off gas exports to Europe.
In those cases, the Danish authorities have drawn up an emergency plan for gas rationing, points out Dan Jørgensen.
Ritzau
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