Europe on edge as Russian gas set for shutdown

European countries are putting plans in place to manage gas supply and even ration power in case Russian gas flows stop completely or a planned outage at the Nord Stream 1 pipeline is extended.

Russian gas supply to Europe via Nord Stream 1 was curtailed to 40pc of capacity last month and Moscow said more delays in repairs could lead it to suspend all flows.

Planned annual maintenance outage begins today and will last until July 21 but there are concerns that it could be extended.

The EU has rules to prevent and respond to a disruption in gas supplies. It sets out three levels of crisis: an early warning, alert and emergency. Member states are required to have plans in place for how they would manage the impact of a supply disruption.

In an emergency, governments can intervene only if market-based measures are insufficient to ensure supplies to households and to customers providing essential services.

The EU executive said it would present a plan on preparedness for more gas cuts from Russia to leaders in July.