FT: Many businesses in the UK could close if there is a gas shortage in Russia

MOSCOW, July 4 – RIA Novosti. In Britain, many businesses could close if a cold winter causes gas shortages and supplies from Russia to Europe stop. author financial times.

The biggest consumers of industrial energy are planning to warn the government that with the arrival of cold weather, some power plants may be shut down due to acute fuel shortages and emergency measures taken by authorities to limit their use.

The authors of the publication reminded that a constant supply of fuel is crucial for many energy-intensive processes, especially for the production of glass and ceramics.

Observers say that so far British ministers have downplayed the UK’s energy supply problem. The government insists that rationing should not be applied to gas consumption this winter. The article states that the contingency plan is based on an “unlikely” scenario where Russia halts fuel supplies to Europe and then Norway cuts off transit to the United Kingdom.

However, British experts are worried, because earlier, during intense cold weather, London purchased additional volumes of raw materials from European countries. Meanwhile, the European Union has urged factories and households to reduce consumption if gas imports from Russia stop.

After Moscow launched a special operation to protect Donbass from Ukrainian nationalists, the United States and the European Union imposed sanctions on it. Many states announced the freeze of Russian assets, calls for Russia to stop energy were even louder. These measures dealt a serious blow to the West, boosting inflation and raising food and fuel prices.