Italy plans response to possible loss of Russian gas – media

Italy may suspend industrial production for 30 days this winter as part of an emergency energy-saving plan if Russian gas supplies are cut, the newspaper Il Messagero reported on Monday.

Italian Energy Minister Roberto Cingolani proposed the measure amid an EU-wide plan to reduce gas consumption by 15% over the coming months. In July, the bloc agreed on rationing to increase its energy security as it seeks to wean itself off its dependence on Russian energy.

Italy relies on imports for nearly 75% of its energy. At the start of this year, the country was importing 40% of its gas from Russia, but by July this figure had dropped to 25% due to sanctions.

Cingolani’s emergency plan is based on two hypothetical scenarios, according to the outlet. The first implies a complete stoppage of Russian gas supplies starting November 1, which would entail Italy seeing a shortfall of 6.45 billion cubic meters of gas. In this case, the Italian government would resort to a mandatory reduction in consumption and move to rationing across industrial sectors that would last for 31 days.

In the second scenario, gas supplies would be cut off starting January 1. This would be costly but would not necessarily entail a halt of industrial production.

The new rationing plan follows a series of nationwide measures aimed at tackling the energy crisis. Italy, along with other EU countries, has been battling record-high inflation, driven largely by burgeoning energy costs.

Last week, the country’s Ministry of Ecological Transition signed off on an energy-saving decree that introduces tighter limits and restrictions for the use of gas for heating during the winter. The legislation will reduce the daily operating period in the country by one hour per day, while the overall winter heating season will be shortened by 15 days.

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