Tuesday, 10th March 2009
Letter for Publication - Scotland faces gas shortage unless Russian-Ukraine tensions are resolved
Dear Sir,
I was incredibly disappointed to hear last week’s reports that the Russia-Ukraine gas dispute may be reignited following the recent storming of the headquarters of the Ukranian state gas company by armed intelligence agents.
Last month I had a ninety minute meeting with Mr Putin in Moscow to discuss the oil crisis. If the Russia-Ukraine oil tensions reignite, I could see Europe’s supply of gas being shut down once again, resulting in a real crisis in Scotland, especially if the current cold snap continues.
Research published by the Conservative Party has revealed that the UK’s gas in storage has collapsed to less than five days supply.
Our gas stores today are more than a third below the volumes held in March 2006 when the National Grid issued a Gas Balancing Alert, warning of the prospect of needing emergency measures.
It is only due to the fact that the current economic recession has led to reduced demand that this situation has been prevented from becoming an emergency. Ministers are being remarkably complacent in the face of this acute situation.
Yours sincerely,
Struan Stevenson MEP
The European Parliament
Rue Wiertz
B-1047
Brussels
