Norway is prepared for winter gas deliveries, but we must save energy too
Norway is ready to keep its gas deliveries to Europe at a high level even during the peak winter period, announced Gassco, the operator of Norway's gas network, on October 1. According to the company, the planned maintenance work has been completed and the transport system is operating properly, so it is well prepared for the demand that rises along with the colder months. The reassuring announcement comes at a particularly timely moment, as Europe is heading into winter with lower reserves and higher gas prices than in the same period in previous years.
According to Alfred Skår Hansen, Gassco's head of system operations, the summer works served to strengthen security of supply: this year's maintenance involved fewer and shorter production shutdowns than in previous years and was completed as planned. In the new gas year starting in October, the focus shifts to ensuring winter supply, when the system faces its heaviest load. Norway became Europe's largest natural gas supplier after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine; last year 114.9 billion cubic meters of natural gas reached European markets through Gassco's network, while this year's deliveries have so far amounted to 86.2 billion cubic meters, 2.1 billion more than the amount recorded a year earlier.
Alongside supply, the protection of infrastructure is also receiving growing attention: citing the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines, the war in Ukraine and geopolitical tensions, Gassco maintains heightened security measures, is upgrading the physical and IT protection of its facilities, and regularly practices handling emergency situations. However, Norway's preparedness alone does not guarantee a cheap winter: according to Reuters, European gas prices have more than doubled in 2026, rising to around 73 euros per megawatt-hour after the US–Israeli war against Iran severely restricted shipments of liquefied natural gas. EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen therefore warned last week of a winter energy price crisis and urged further filling of storage facilities as well as a reduction in consumption.
Ugar
Did you like this article?
Support our work with a small donation
Secure payment via Stripe • Min. 2 EUR
Gesta recommendations:
An example worth following for us too: the Polish prosecutor can investigate the constitutional judge
Such an investigation could well be carried out in Romania too, because the constitutional court here is, to put it mildly, hardly the kind of institution that makes one immediately think of political impartiality and spotless public trust. In Poland, prosecutors are now investigating whether the president of the constitutional court improperly selected the panels of judges ruling on individual…
Rubio showed the Iranian delegation the door, Tehran says they were leaving anyway
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday demanded that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his UN delegation leave immediately after talks broke down, the AP reported, citing two American officials. The negotiations were supposed to cover the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, ending the war and Iran's nuclear program—if the story had a sequel, but it doesn't.
Nicușor admitted: Romania is not a sovereign state!
Bolojan seems to be kinder than usual: he's just left the door open for a PSD government. He still doesn't want to form a coalition with the "reds," but he can now imagine that under certain circumstances the PNL would vote to install a government, only to then remain outside it. Grindeanu shouldn't pop the champagne yet, since he hasn't received support with his name on it, but he can at least…
Look who's talking: RMDSZ launches the "Stop, Scammer!" campaign
RMDSZ is helping people recognize the very tricks it itself likes to use. Botond Csoma even puts a name to the matter when he introduces their brand-new campaign with these words:
This Is Where Hungarian Public Discourse in Romania Has Ended Up
G4Media published a selection of messages that Romania's citizens are sending to Nicușor Dan after today's failed prime-ministerial nomination. In this regard, Ugar Gesta checked whether Hungarian commenters in Romania had put on their steel-toed boots today as well. A sad comparison follows.