[Circle depth] The German city with "air -limiting" is exploring the "bitter" day

[Global Times special reporter in Germany Zhao Dong Liu Yupeng] From August 1st, the European Union officially started the voluntary reduction of natural gas consumption agreement passed last month. According to the agreement, EU member states will pass their respective measures from August 1st to March 31st this year to reduce demand for natural gas on the basis of the average consumption of the past five years. This is aimed at preparing for winter in advance to deal with the possible situation of Russian natural gas supply. The reporter observed in Hanover in Germany that the city hall, museum and attractions were closed, and all public fountains stopped running. In the public swimming pool, gymnasium and gym, hot water is no longer provided.

German data map

Comprehensively restrict public electricity consumption

Known as the "Exposition City", Hanover, the capital of Saxon, the capital of Saxony, is one of the earliest German cities to propose a natural gas conservation plan. The reporter visited the city last weekend that unlike the summer of previous years, the public fountains on the squares of the city of Hanover had stopped spraying water, and the children's play in the water disappeared. The reporter found in a fitness center named MCFIT that the bath place no longer provides hot water as usual. After the night, the attractions and public institutions in the city extinguished the lights, reserving only some necessary road lighting.

According to the energy conservation regulations of Hanover. The municipal government will shorten this year's heating time. From October 1st to March 31st this year, the government office building was heated, and the highest room temperature may be maintained at 20 degrees. In the storage room, technical room, corridor and other places, the temperature is only 10 to 15 degrees. However, the Nikko Center, schools, nursing homes and clinics are not restricted by energy -saving measures. In the past, the German heating season will last until the end of April of the second year. The mayor of Hanover City, Bailet Olei, said that the city hall will further limit the use of electronic equipment such as printers and refrigerators, and air conditioners and heater are disabled. The mayor hopes that the company and other institutions can also follow the government's measures.

A number of Hanno -Weiwei companies and local citizens report to reporters that they have tried their best to save energy such as natural gas, and now they have almost reached the limit that can be controlled. At the same time, many cities, including Hanover, still hope to further curb the use of natural gas by increasing the price of natural gas. Germany is also formulating a regulation to prohibit private swimming pools in winter in winter.

People's life is greatly affected

Data show that about 1/3 of the natural gas consumption in Germany comes from private families. On average, there is a set of apartments for natural gas heating. These days, many families in Hanover have received uncomfortable notices -energy suppliers pass the rise in natural gas to residents.

From October 1st, the price of natural gas will be more expensive. All natural gas customers should pay an additional cost of up to 0.05 euros per kilowatt -hour. Based on the consumption level in 2021, in a 100 -square -meter apartment, the average natural gas consumption of the four -mouth home is about 18,000 kWh, and the cost of natural gas reached 1080 euros. The current price plus the 0.05 euro gasoline surcharge, the cost will be several times higher than last year, even equivalent to the average monthly income of the Germans. Miller, director of the German Federal Network Administration, told the "German Editorial Department Network" that by the beginning of next year, the price of natural gas may rise tripled.

The reporter came to Wan Decheng, the largest electrical chain in Hanover, and found that a number of electric heater is displaying here. However, the clerk told reporters that all the electric heater was sold out and the exhibits could not be sold. Now they must wait for the new heater from China to come over.

Many firewood factories are also in a hurry. The reporter visited the two home chain stores and found it. The wood and wood chips here have been snapped up. Yudan, a Hanover citizen who did not buy Chai, was a bit dismissal. He told reporters that in order to prevent insufficient heating in autumn and winter, he did not frozen. He has replaced the natural gas heating system with a fireplace.

In addition to Ji Yuan, Hanover is still open. As a substitute for natural gas power generation, the MEHRUM Power Plant, the first hard coal power plant near Hanover, recently ended the "reserve status" to restore power generation. Ferbell, the general manager of the power plant, admits that the power plant cannot operate at all. "The current situation of the power plant is comparable to a car parked in the garage for 8 months, and it cannot be determined whether it can be restarted." The Mehrum Power Plant can provide electricity for 500,000 families, but the power plant is facing the entire Saxony, and the energy crisis of Hanover City cannot be really resolved.

According to data from the German Federal Network Administration, natural gas power generation accounted for 11.2%of German power generation. Coal-fired power plants in Sall and North Rhine-Westfa will also access the grid.

The mayor of Hanover City, Belito, emphasized that the city hopes to promote the use of renewable energy. The Government of Hanover and the Senken State Government rented a solar roof to Enercity, an energy supplier in Hanover, and packed on the roofs of hundreds of buildings. By 2025, its power generation will be more than 15 Gava -enough to use 6,200 families.

"European countries are trying to save money at the expense of the interests of their own citizens." Russian satellite news agency reported on August 1 that Russian energy expert De Mitrigri Gheef said that the European Union's decision has not been calculated, and It is unsightly, "They have not calculated what happened if people take a bath? This is related to health problems. It has not been calculated if people's cardiovascular disease increases without air conditioning? If people stop traveling, the retail industry What will happen? "The shadow of the recession approaches

As the largest economy in Europe, Germany, under pressure, may have fallen into a decline. According to the European Bureau of Statistics, compared with the first quarter of this year, the GDP growth rate in Germany in the second quarter was 0%, which was 0.1%lower than the expected growth of economists. Judging from the two points, the country's GDP index actually shrinks by 0.04%. Economists of Credit Suisse and German Bank predict that the German economy will shrink from the second half of the year to at least spring.

"Voice of Germany" reported on August 1 that due to the influence of high inflation, new crown pneumonia epidemic, and Russian and Ukraine conflict, German retail trade operations were described as a maximum of 28 years. According to statistics provided by the German Federal Statistics Bureau on the same day, after deducting inflation factors, sales in June decreased by 8.8%year -on -year. Economists predict that the retail industry is still difficult in the future.

The Russian satellite news agency quoted Corneiqikh, deputy professor of the Federal School of Finance, saying that the decline in Russia's natural gas consumption is approaching the decline in the euro zone economy, which may have irreparable consequences of energy -intensive industries and euro zone economies. For political reasons for compulsory restrictions on Russia's natural gas consumption, turning to the use of expensive liquefied natural gas, relying on "green" energy will not help the development of the European economy. As a result, the euro zone economy is rapidly declining.

Giving up Russia's natural gas is expensive for Europeans. According to Russia's "Independence" reported on August 2, Russia's Natural Gas Industry Co., Ltd. reported that the demand for natural gas in the world's 7 months before 2022 decreased by 35 billion cubic meters year -on -year, and the decline in demand for EU is the key factor. The average price of natural gas in the European Exchange in July rose by nearly 50%, breaking through 1,800 US dollars per thousand cubic meters. The price of TTF benchmark Dutch natural gas futures has been between $ 1500-2400 per thousand cubic meters, and the price is less than $ 500 a year ago.

It is the United States that the fisherman is profitable in the crisis. The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) quoted Cedigaz on August 1st that with the increase in supply to Europe, the United States became the world's largest liquefied natural gas exporter in the first half of 2022. EIA said that in the first five months of this year, about 71%of the US LNG exported to the European Union and the United Kingdom.

- END -