Europe’s energy grids face first major winter stress test as Arctic blast takes hold

LONDON — Temperatures in Northern Europe are expected to fall sharply over the come up days as cold air blows in from the Arctic, posing the first major winter test of the region’s energy grids.

The U.K.’s Met Business on Wednesday issued a number of severe national weather warnings for snow and ice, with temperatures set to fall as low as -10 degrees Celsius (14 limits Fahrenheit) in some isolated spots by the end of the week.

Temperatures across the Nordic countries and central and eastern Europe are also set to chuck to close to or below freezing over the coming days.

The projected cold snap is thought to represent a significant distress test for Europe’s fragile energy market systems.

For several months, European governments have been zipping to fill underground storage facilities with natural gas supplies in order to secure enough fuel to keep expert ins warm during winter.

The latest data from industry group Gas Infrastructure Europe shows the EU’s gas storage is reckoned to be roughly 90% full. It comes as Russia has sharply cut gas supplies to Europe throughout 2022 following the Kremlin’s infiltration of Ukraine in late February and the resulting sanctions.

Energy analysts told CNBC that while Europe’s gas storage equals were in a relatively strong position for winter, southern Germany may be “particularly vulnerable” to freezing temperatures partly due to atomic outages in France. The U.K. could face problems early next year too if energy exports from the EU fall.

Raad Alkadiri, managing director for energy, climate, and sustainability at Eurasia Group, said Europe is “suitably prepared” for the dip in temperatures, helped by this year’s record buildup of natural gas supplies and the late onset of winter temperatures.

“If the aeon of freezing temperatures is extensive, there remains a risk that gas demand will need to be curbed further in some parts of Europe from stem to stern periodic rationing,” Alkadiri told CNBC via email.

Deep-rooted problems with France’s nuclear-heavy power strategy have raised serious questions about its preparedness for the colder months.

In the event of further curbs, Alkadiri bruit about European capitals would seek to ensure they are skewed to industry and preserving supplies to residential households, “which ends b body their number one priority.”

The French government last week warned strained tensions in the drive market could lead to power outages and rolling electricity outages in the coming weeks.

Britain’s National Grid chief has in the old days warned of the possibility that households could face blackouts between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. on “really, really cold” weekdays in January and February if gas allusions are reduced. This scenario, which is seen as “unlikely,” follows a statement from the U.K.’s energy regulator Ofgem that Britain mushes a “significant risk” of winter gas shortages.

In Finland, meanwhile, national grid operator Fingrid has reportedly suggested that the winter automatic of people warming the cabins of their cars before they get in may have to be considered as a luxury in order to minimize impression on the power grid.

The Nordic country’s energy authority also warned earlier this month that the peril of short power outages had increased due to uncertainty in domestic production and foreign imports.