London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 11, 2025

Energy boss warns of shortages next winter as China's consumption set to rise

Energy boss warns of shortages next winter as China's consumption set to rise

"It is not right to be relaxed, it is not right now to celebrate," says the head of the International Energy Agency, Fatih Birol.

Europe is "off the hook" on energy supplies this winter - but it has also got lucky, a senior official has said.

Fatih Birol, head of the International Energy Agency, has warned against complacency, saying there could easily be energy shortages next winter.

One of the principle reasons for that is the end of heavy COVID restrictions in China, leading to increased economic activity, and therefore a rise in gas consumption.

While an extra 23 billion cubic metres of liquefied natural gas (LNG) is expected to be produced this year, China could take 80% of it, Mr Birol said.

"Even though we have enough LNG import terminals, there may not be enough gas to import and therefore it will not be easy this coming winter for Europe," he commented.

Prices could be pushed up again - just as they were when Russia invaded Ukraine. The war will be a year old on Friday.

"It is not right to be relaxed, it is not right now to celebrate," Mr Birol commented.

He is asking countries that have decided to phase out nuclear energy to consider whether it is the right time to do so.

There could be shortages next winter, Mr Birol has warned

On a more positive note, Mr Birol said European governments had made many correct decisions as they sought to ensure their energy supplies.

Those include building more LNG terminals to replace pipeline deliveries of Russian gas.

But they also got lucky, with a mild winter dampening demand and economic weakness in China leading to the first drop in consumption there for 40 years.

"For this winter it is right to say that we are off the hook. If there are no last minute surprises, we should get through...maybe with some bruises here and there," Mr Birol said.

"But the question is, what happens next winter?"

Even with a renewed push to develop new gas fields, it could be years before they come online, he warned.

Klaus Mueller, head of the German agency which regulates gas and electricity markets, has also predicted possible gas shortages next winter, especially as Germany will now have to fill storage facilities without Russian pipeline gas.

"We can manage it but will have to really make a big effort," he told radio station Deutschlandfunk.
Comments

Oh ya 3 year ago
The stupid Europeans will learn there lesson next winter that they should not be a vassal for the collapsing US empire. They can not make it without cheap Russian gas. BASF has announced it is moving out of Germany and too China because they can not get the gas they need. Glass and steel plants are shutting down also. Fertilizer plants have go gas to make fertilizer for next years crop. The world needs to wake up about the true USA

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Court Staff Cover Up Banksy Image of Judge Beating a Protester
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
Elon Musk Poised to Become First Trillionaire Under Ambitious Tesla Pay Plan
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
Burning the Minister’s House Helped Protesters to Win Justice: Prabowo Fires Finance Minister in Wake of Indonesia Protests
Brazil Braces for Fallout from Bolsonaro Trial by corrupted judge
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
Nearly 40 Years Later: Nike Changes the Legendary Slogan Just Do It
Generations Born After 1939 Unlikely to Reach Age One Hundred, New Study Finds
End to a four-year manhunt in New Zealand: the father who abducted his children to the forests was killed, the three siblings were found
Germany Suspends Debt Rules, Funnels €500 Billion Toward Military and Proxy War Strategy
EU Prepares for War
BMW Eyes Growth in China with New All‑Electric Neue Klasse Lineup
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
US Justice Department Launches Criminal Mortgage-Fraud Probe into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Escalating Drug Trafficking and Violence in Latin America: A Growing Crisis
US and Taiwanese Defence Officials Held Secret Talks in Alaska
Report: Secret SEAL Team 6 Mission in North Korea Ordered by Trump in 2019 Ended in Failure
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Florida Murder Case: The Adelson Family, the Killing of Dan Markel, and the Trial of Donna Adelson
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
×