FGSZ Ltd gas receiving station in Hungary. File photoBUDAPEST, Sep 6Hungary plans to reduce dependence on Russian gas and reduce the share of gas in the country's heating by 2030, it is planned to allocate investments in the amount of 16 billion euros for these purposes, Minister of Technology and Industry of the country Laszlo Palkovic said at a conference on sustainable development. «Natural gas accounts for 35 -40% of final energy consumption. The goal is to reduce the share of gas heating for the population and the state … Hungary's goal is to reduce dependence on Russian energy imports and, as a result, achieve independence,» MTI quoted Palkovic as saying.
Borrell is confident that Europe is not in danger of dying from the cold. According to him, «natural gas consumption in Hungary can be significantly reduced by 2030 with a set of appropriate measures, but this can only be achieved in parallel with significant electrification.» The minister noted that the investment plan envisages allocating 16 billion euros to achieve these goals. In July, the Hungarian government declared a state of emergency in the energy sector, which involves a package of seven measures: increasing gas production in the country from 1.5 to 2 billion cubic meters, searching for additional more than 700 million cubic meters of gas to fill storage facilities, a ban on the export of energy and firewood, an increase in coal production, an acceleration in the restart of blocks of the Matra coal-fired power plant, an extension of the life of the Paks nuclear power plant and a cut in the preferential utility bill program. Later, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said, that the country is developing a program of «stoves and boilers» to replace gas heating wherever possible, in particular in schools. Orban said forestry enterprises have also been tasked with learning how to harvest more firewood. The Ministry of Agriculture of the country told RIA Novosti that in autumn the forestry enterprises will start harvesting timber according to new plans, adapted to the conditions of increased demand. praised Serbia's refusal of sanctions against Russia
