As CEO of EVO, Dr. Christoph Meier explained, “in addition to the fill levels of the gas storage tanks, it depends on several factors whether we can get through the next few months safely.” You need mild temperatures in winter and lots of wind and sun. Last but not least, the construction of the liquid gas infrastructure must progress rapidly and the planned terminals must be completed quickly. Individual entrepreneurs and citizens have no influence on any of these points, but ‘we are not helpless’, said Dr. Maier “We can and must continue to use energy carefully in industry and in private homes.”
Fire chief Uwe Sauer said those involved in preparing for winter “have taken on all conceivable scenarios”. This also includes the controlled shutdown of the gas supply in individual neighborhoods. “It is very unlikely that this will happen, but it cannot be ruled out entirely. If the gas doesn’t last until the end of winter, it may be necessary to disconnect individual sections of the network to avoid failure of the entire network,” Sauer explained.
EVO, the city and its firefighters have been engaged for months in complex preparations to be able to act in an emergency so that the city and its citizens can cope with this crisis in the best possible way. Among other things, the civil protection will create an “island of heat” in the municipality to warm up in the event of an emergency. “Preference would be given to welcoming the elderly and sick”, stressed Dr. Pan the importance of self-preparedness in such a disaster situation, where civil defense forces from other cities and districts would not be available. The mayor, the fire chief and the managing director of EVO thanked all commercial and private gas consumers for the savings achieved so far: “This is the most important prerequisite for having a great chance of getting through the winter!”
