AzerNews: Europe’s new energy scenarios and role of Azerbaijan
The Crimean crisis has made Europe suddenly aware of how dependent it is on the gas supplies from Russia. Currently, the EU covers more than 60 percent of its gas consumption through import. The Paris based International Energy Agency (IEA) expects that the consumption in the EU member states will grow and the share of imports in 2035 will climb to more than 80 percent.
Russia is at a third of EU imports by far the more important gas supplier - and the Crimean crisis has shown the risks of this dependence. In the wake of the Crimean crisis, all the heads of the EU member states announced a new look at the entire energy policy.
The current debates are concentrated on two possible scenarios: 1. Shale gas fracking in the resource potential EU member states. 2. Identify other potential resource countries for gas supply. The debates are not focus either or scenario but rather on both of the options.