German Civil Protection Agency: Large-scale power outages unlikely

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
20 Nov 2022 19:45

The agency challenges the statement of the BKK head who warned citizens yesterday to stock up on water, canned foods, and other essential supplies.

Head of the German Civil Protection Agency, Ralph Tiesler

It is unlikely that Germany will be facing large-scale power outages, Germany’s Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) said on Sunday.

Yesterday, the President of the BKK agency, Ralph Tiesler, said German citizens may experience "blackouts in the winter. By this I mean a regional and temporary interruption in the power supply," adding that the power cuts were due to both energy shortages and temporary shutdowns of the entire grid to protect the entire network.

Earlier today, the agency said on Twitter: "A major blackout in Germany is highly unlikely. The power supply system is designed with multiple redundancies and multiple safety features to stabilize the power system in case of failures."

Moreover, the likelihood of regional and temporary forced outages to ensure continuous supplies of power is "considered low", the agency said in another tweet.

The agency said that Tiesler delivered warnings yesterday to emphasize the importance of taking precautions.

It is clear that the agency's statements have been issued in response to the alarming warnings Tiesler said yesterday.

Tiesler said yesterday that the situation could potentially reach a critical point and urged germans to stockpile food, water, and essential supplies.

The last couple of years have been really tough for Germans, Tiesler said, adding that the pandemic served as a prime example of the unforeseen effects of a crisis.

The coming years are yet to be more challenging in light of the worsening climate situation and other serious and geopolitical tensions.

Tiesler called on Germany to further invest in its national civil defense.

On November 18, EU President Ursula von der Leyen said during the Manama Dialogue conference that the EU's current gas storage capacity stands at 95% and that so far the bloc is only concerned with supplies for next year's winter.

"Our storages are full at 95% and we are safe for this winter. Our challenge will be next year’s winter," she said at the IISS Manama Dialogue in Bahrain.

On November 17, a co-leader of Germany's ruling Social Democratic Party (SPD), Lars Klingbeil, said Germany is currently facing the risk of undergoing a process of de-industrialization due to partial disruptions in supply chains, staff shortages, and soaring energy prices.

Some argue that Germany may be forced to go back to the firewood era, as its gas stockpiles won't be enough to fight off the upcoming cold in Europe.