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米国を除いて、供給の安全保障の潜在的なコストと問題点を考えると、欧州には適さない場合がロシアのガスへの依存を減らす、新たな供給領域をもたらす
LA CUARTA PÁGINA
El tablero energético después de Crimea
Reducir la dependencia del gas ruso puede no ser conveniente para Europa, dado el coste potencial y los problemas de seguridad de suministro que, salvo EE UU, plantean las nuevas regiones de aprovisionamiento
Pedro Antonio Merino García 26 MAR 2014 - 00:00 CET
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THE FOURTH PAGE
The energy board after Crimea
Reduce dependence on Russian gas may not be suitable for Europe, given the potential costs and problems of security of supply, except the U.S., pose new supply regions
Pedro Antonio García Merino 26 MAR 2014 - 00:00 CET
The crisis between Ukraine and Russia has reopened the question of energy supply and European dependence on Russian gas. Given the flagrant violations of public international law , the U.S. and the EU have reacted by adopting economic and diplomatic sanctions and the threat of Iran in crescendo if Russia moves in the Ukrainian Crimea territory beyond . But for now , we are not in a power battle.
When referring to Russia is inevitable to talk about energy. Russia's importance in the world stems from its weight in the global energy board ; although it is a small country economically - not reach 2.5% of world GDP is the second - largest producer of oil and gas, and the main source of European supplies of these hydrocarbons. In addition , Russia is the sixth largest producer of uranium in the world and has more than half of the global enrichment capacity thereof.
If we analyze the data from 2012 ( the latest available and proven ) , Russia supplied 27% of the uranium requirements of the EU ( 5,200 tons), 41% enriched uranium for European .
With respect to oil, Russia exported oil and equivalent to 9 % of world consumption. Most of these exports , 70% , went to Europe , covering half of the demand of all countries in the EU. These are vital for the Russian economy, accounting for 54% of the country's export earnings and 47% of the Russian federal budget.
For gas , in 2012 exported the equivalent to 6% of world consumption. As in the case of oil , Europe was the main destination for Russian exports : 65 % of them , in particular more than 130 billion cubic meters ( bcm ) went to European countries, with sales volume Germany and Italy . In total gas imports from Russia account for 30 % of gas consumption in the EU. For Russia account for 11 % of export earnings of the country and 6% of the federal budget.
If trade sanctions were imposed , Russia would face a crisis unprecedented
Russia, therefore, depends on Europe more than it seems , especially when it comes to oil. Moreover, the EU is the main trading partner , with 45 % of Russian imports from Europe . Also Europe is the source of 80 % of annual foreign direct investment ( FDI) in 2013 reached 4 % of Russian GDP.
Therefore, Russia would face an unprecedented crisis if trade sanctions were imposed , for example petroleum exports or direct investment in that country. Clearly this is not the most likely scenario today, given the consequences that would result from oil price escalation for all countries . What remains , then , the energy board ? Apparently , raise the issue of reducing dependence on Russian gas as a key response to the crisis.
Suppose finally decides Europe reduce its dependence on Russian gas. What would be the best strategy to achieve this purpose? If the EU decides to move in this direction would have to take steps in the internal and external front .
Regarding the former, should increase domestic production, accelerate the establishment of strategic reserves and increase intra interconnections for better supply. With the latter the potential diversification of sources and maximize storage costs to be minimized potential risks of supply disruption.
Meanwhile , the increase in domestic production would lead to reopen the debate on nuclear production of unconventional fossil fuels ( fracking ) and sustainable development of renewables. Should also be encouraged to explore oil and gas in the member countries , for example in the coast of Cyprus, Spain and the UK.
It should liberalize
U.S. exports of gas
and oil to Europe
Regarding the external front, should seek new supplies or increase from locations considered safe : the geopolitical risk is lower USA. In the short term , there should be an increase in U.S. imports of coal and , if available export infrastructure needed , the liquefied natural gas (LNG ) from that country , and also from Canada . In the coming years should reach a free trade agreement in the North Atlantic that liberalizing U.S. export oil and gas to Europe. That is , the U.S. would become the strategic partner in energy issues. In this context, we must not forget that Spain is the country with the capacity to import LNG in Europe and could play an important role when it comes to new supplies.
Two other sources of supply that can be enhanced , and that would become strategic areas - be North Africa , for their infrastructure connections with Italy and Spain , and the Caspian Sea region , where there are huge reserves of gas.
Regarding the latter region , it should remember what happened to the Nabucco project. The pipeline , which would connect the Caspian gas to Austria, was until last year the European alternative to the South Stream pipeline , which will connect Russian supplies to southern Europe (Italy ) through the Black Sea in 2015.
Nabucco should have started construction in 2011; however, the project never took off and ended definitively canceled due to three factors: first, the geopolitical instability in countries that could have provided the gas, including Iran and Iraq are shuffled . Second, the strong influence of Russia on some of the countries both producers and transit - do not forget that Russia bought much of the gas in the countries of origin for supply to Europe . Third, because of its high cost, which amounted to over 7,900 million euros.
The Nabucco project , the pipeline would connect the Caspian to Austria, has finally canceled
Though less expensive and ambitious projects , connecting the Caspian is underway. Europe has given the green light to the construction of the pipeline TANAP (Trans Anatolian Pipeline : Georgia -Turkey - Greece) and TAP (Trans Adriatic Pipeline : Greece - Albania - Italy) , that will provide Europe with gas from Azerbaijan.
However, on the Caspian no doubt to provide more security of supply to Russia itself. Consider the probability that Russia cut gas supplies is very low because the economic cost of this decision would be very high for the country. First the lower revenues that would represent the largest and capital outflows, which would toughest financial conditions and lower economic growth. Second because the country would be perceived as a reliable long-term supplier , not only for Europe but also for third countries.
For Europe is questionable to reduce Europe's dependence on Russian gas is an economically reasonable measure , given the potential cost of new sources of supply and security of supply issues involving alternative regions except the United States. Nor is it clear that when considering high-impact economic sanctions is the most effective measure : think oil or FDI. Although we reduce the dependence on gas , we will depend on Russian oil ; gas probably cost us more expensive, and do not know if we would get improved security of supply. Yes, we would reduce Russia's ability to use the gas supply interruptions as a weapon of foreign policy.
Antonio Merino is Director of Studies of Repsol.
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