Italy plans to diversify energy supply to cut reliance on Russia – The Peninsula Qatar

Italy plans to diversify energy supply to cut reliance on Russia – The Peninsula Qatar

Italy must diversify its sources of energy to curb dependence on Russia, Prime Minister Mario Draghi said as Europe prepares for potential supply shocks following President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

While there are currently no signs of an interruption to gas flows from Russia, Italy is working on a plan to mitigate any impact from such a scenario, Draghi said Tuesday. His government is among many across the region weighing the risk that sanctions could disrupt flows, or that Moscow could halt shipments in retaliation for penalties.

Italy is keen to boost gas imports from countries such as Azerbaijan and Algeria, the prime minister told lawmakers in Rome. In time, it also wants to double the capacity of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline in the Adriatic Sea, expand import capacity for liquefied natural gas and drive up the use of renewables.

Read more: Italy Ready to Curb Natural Gas Use If Russia Cuts Supplies

Russia’s attack on Ukraine -- a transit route for about a third of Europe’s supplies of Russian gas -- has forced a rethink of national energy policies across the continent. The European Union is due to produce a strategy next week aimed at cutting reliance on Russia. Germany has already