Energy crisis in EU...

[TOM4CWB]

WSJ:Finance
"Energy Crisis in Europe Intensifies With Russian Troops on Ukraine Border
Cold weather and fear of a Russian invasion of Ukraine are sending natural gas prices into overdrive, fueling inflation and clouding economic growth

LONDON—Winter has arrived for energy markets in Europe as fears of disruption from the military buildup on Russia’s border with Ukraine and falling temperatures catapult prices higher.

Cold-weather forecasts launched natural-gas prices to record highs this week and propelled electricity markets to levels rarely experienced in Germany, France and the U.K.

The chances of a gusher of Russian gas arriving to swell depleted supplies by spring, meanwhile, are fading, after Moscow massed troops on its western flank. U.S. officials say the deployment could pave the way for an invasion of Ukraine in early 2022.

[Sodbuster]

Europe should have no worries, shut the NG line off from Russia, they don’t want to burn that bad carbon contributing to global warming. They can put a few more solar panels and windmills to keep warm.

[fjlip]

SH IT storm a comin'...on top of Virus will KILL us!


October’s record UK gas market highs ignited fears that factories would need to shut this winter to guard against the financial blow of rocketing costs. The surge in prices is also likely to take its toll on Britain’s struggling energy supply market after the collapse of 24 suppliers in a little over 12 weeks and record hikes in home energy bills. The European Commission has reportedly put forward a voluntary system for EU countries to buy gas together to form strategic reserves to safeguard against a supply squeeze caused by a global surge in demand and lower

Europe’s Fertilizer Crisis Could Become a Food Crisis

The European Union is ill-suited to respond to soaring input costs before crunch time next spring. By: Francesco Casarotto

Last week, Romania’s largest producer of chemical fertilizers, Azomures, announced that it would temporary cut production amid rising energy prices. It is only the latest fertilizer firm in Europe to be forced to halt or reduce output recently. In September, several British firms, U.S.-based CF Industries, and Norway’s Yara – one of Europe’s largest ammonia producers, with annual output of 4 million to 9 million tons – took the plunge. So did Lithuania’s Achema, the Netherlands’ OCI Nitrogen, Spain’s Fertiberia, Austria’s Borealis AG and Germany’s BASF. All pointed to surging natural gas prices, and none has specified when full production will resume.

Given the strict link between natural gas prices – which are soaring across the Continent – and nitrogen-based fertilizer production, the EU is facing a fertilizer crisis that may turn into a food crisis. The bloc’s main problem is not production capacity – European producers supply 90 percent of the bloc’s needs – but acquiring affordable input materials. Of all the fertilizers used by Europe, 68 percent are nitrogen-based.

To limit the effects of the fertilizers crisis on crop yields, the issue must be resolved before the application of fertilizer on the spring crops, which typically occurs between February and April. For now, the EU views the fertilizer shortages as part of the larger problem of high gas prices, which also affects consumer electricity prices and energy for industrial production. But given its design, the EU lacks the institutional flexibility and capabilities to deal with an emergency of this nature, which demands a rapid response.

[blackpowder]

An amazing disconnect in 70 years.
Churchill is speechless.