Germany to face short-term blackouts in winter

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
19 Nov 16:55
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An official from Germany's Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance warns that the situation could potentially reach a critical point and urges Germans to stockpile food, water, and essential supplies.

German civil protection agency expects short-term blackouts in winter.

Germany will be facing temporary power outages this winter, Ralph Tiesler, the head of the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BKK), said on Saturday.

"We have to expect blackouts in the winter. By this I mean a regional and temporary interruption in the power supply," Tiesler told local reporters, adding that the power cuts were due to both energy shortages and temporary shutdowns of the entire grid to protect the entire network.

The official further added that he was referring to short-term power outages, so-called brownouts, rather than large-scale blackouts.

Tiesler warned 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 for Germany to further invest in its national civil defense.

The saddest part of this is that the EU at the confederal level denies the realities that normal citizens are going to face this coming winter.

Yesterday, 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.

Von der Leyen visited Bahrain yesterday with the intent of broadening cooperation between the EU and the Gulf region.

Perhaps this desperate rapprochement with oil-rich Gulf Arab nations will provide the EU with other alternatives to the cheap Russian gas it once heavily relied on.

Von der Leyen claimed that the EU had replaced most of the Russian gas with imports from "reliable suppliers", but that statement is highly suspicious considering the current state of the bloc's major economies, including the UK.

On November 18, 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.