Questions and answers about Slovakia’s disconnection from Russian gas: It will continue to heat, the collapse of the industry is not substantiated by numbers – Denník N

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it has been debated whether Slovakia is able to cope with the suspension of Russian gas supplies. This may happen if Russian President Vladimir Putin fulfills his threats and stops supplies to countries that refuse to submit to his “ruble ultimatum”, for example. Slovakia has more than a month to decide whether to accept the requirement to pay for gas in rubles. The second possibility is that the EU leaders will no longer be able to look at the footage of the massacred Ukrainians and will add a ban on gas imports to the existing sanctions. Slovakia pays around a billion dollars a year for Russian gas for its own consumption. The exact number is a trade secret. Earlier estimates of how much time Slovakia would need to switch to gas from other suppliers spoke of eight years. Currently, the Minister of Economy Richard Sulík (SaS) claims that it is possible in a year at the earliest. A few days ago, he called for Slovakia to pay for gas in rubles. He later softened his words, stressing that he only meant “if necessary.” He claims that otherwise there is a risk of industry devastation and economic collapse. On the contrary, according to Prime Minister Eduard Heger (OĽaNO), Slovakia should proceed in unison with the rest of the EU. So far, most of the voices are saying that the ultimatum is not being approached. Several member states are therefore speeding up preparations for a halt in Russian gas supplies. Germany, for example, has already declared a first stage of gas readiness. Economy Minister Robert Habeck called on businesses and households to start saving. In this article, we summarize 21 questions and answers about what would happen in Slovakia if one or the other party met the threat and Russian gas did not flow to Slovakia. The questions you will find in this text will answer: What percentage of the total consumption is gas from Russia? Does Slovakia have enough gas without the Russian one? If gas from Russia stopped today, how long would our supplies last? What could replace Russian gas? Do gas pipelines leading to Slovakia from the EU have sufficient capacity? Will the European Union help us? Would disconnecting from Russian gas not replace one dependency with another? How much gas does Slovakia have in storage? Could it happen that the state national gas in storage tanks? Could it not be that there is enough gas next winter for domestic heating? Is it true that without Russian gas, Slovak industry is “collapsing”? Which companies buy the most gas and for what? Which companies would be affected by the gas supply restriction? What would be the impact on the economy? Will gas increase for households from next year? What else can become more expensive in stores if there is not enough gas? Is it worth buying a gas boiler or stove in your household? Couldn’t natural gas be replaced by biogas production? What revenues from Russian gas distribution would Slovakia lose? Would it put an embargo on Russian gas for Putin? What can I do to reduce gas consumption? You need at least a standard subscription to read. Are you a subscriber? Sign in