寒潮来袭 欧盟可能面临天然气短缺风险

Core Viewpoint - European natural gas inventories have reached their lowest level since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, posing a risk of gas shortages in the EU as current storage is significantly below the five-year average [1] Group 1: Current Gas Inventory Status - As of January 4, European underground gas storage facilities are at 59.9% capacity, a level typically seen at the end of January in previous years [1] - This current level is approximately 13% lower than the average for early January over the past five years [1] Group 2: Factors Contributing to Gas Shortages - The rapid depletion of underground gas reserves is attributed to a surge in heating demand due to a cold snap that hit Europe in late December [1] - Forecasts indicate that temperatures in early January may drop to the lowest levels seen in 15 years, which will exert additional pressure on the energy system [1] Group 3: Impact of the Russia-Ukraine Conflict - Since the onset of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in February 2022, the EU has significantly reduced its energy imports from Russia, which previously accounted for about 40% of the EU's gas demand [1] - The "RePowerEU" plan aims for Brussels to completely halt energy imports from Russia by 2027 [1] - Russia has criticized the EU's sanctions as self-destructive and has claimed that Europe is sacrificing cheap energy for political reasons [1]