District Heating Recognised as Key Measure for EU Energy Security

摘要

On 16 October, the European Commission published a Communication on short term resilience of the European gas system, also referred to as »Stress test report«. The Communication comes in the context of potential disruptions in Russian gas supply the upcoming winter. It proposes a series of short term actions to be carried out by most vulnerable EU member states and neighbouring countries, as well as medium-term recommendations aimed at minimising EU's energy dependence on external energy supply. One of the most feared scenarios in European policy debates of the last months has been without a doubt the likelihood of a »heating crisis«. While pointing out urgent recommendations for the upcoming winter such as maximising capacity on interconnectors, energy storage and fuel switching, the Communication also takes a strategic approach on medium term measures which include focus on sustainable heating.