Today in Austria: A roundup of the latest news on Thursday
Nord Stream One starts up gas deliveries again, calls by EU for countries to ration gas, hot weather continues and more news from Austria on Thursday.
Gas flows again through Nord Stream One
Austria has breathed a sigh of relief as gas has started flowing again through Nord Stream One, a Russian-German gas pipeline, after it was closed for maintenance.
However it will take time until it can transport the gas at full capacity, around 67 million cubic meters per day, the Krone newspaper reports.
It had been feared that Russia might close the pipeline and cut off the gas. Austria’s gas storage facilities are currently more than 50 percent full, representing about half of Austria's annual consumption.
EU calls on countries to reduce gas consumption
The EU is calling on all countries to reduce their gas consumption by 15 percent by spring. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen presented the new EU plans to further reduce dependence on Russian gas on Wednesday, in order to stop Russia using energy as a weapon.
Austria’s Energy Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens) described the EU proposals as “reasonable”, broadcaster ORF reports. However, she also called for greater speed over plans for joint gas purchasing.
Austria is in a particularly weak position as it is heavily reliant on Russian gas. In 2021 Austria imported 86 percent of its gas from Russia.
As it is a landlocked country, it is harder for Austria to obtain gas by other routes than pipelines. In Austria inflation recently climbed to 8.7 percent, but according to the head of the Austrian Economic Research Institute, Gabriel Felbermayr, inflation could double if gas stops flowing to the country, and the European economy would slide into recession.
Sweltering weather in Austria continues
Most of Austria sweltered on Wednesday, with around 160 of the 280 weather stations in the Alpine republic displaying temperatures of 30 degrees or higher.
Record temperatures were recorded at high altitudes, with the Patscherkofel in Tyrol and on the Villacher Alpe in Carinthia, which are 2,000 degrees above sea level, both reaching over 20 degrees. In Innsbruck, it was 37 degrees.
However, Austria’s highest ever temperature record still stands. This was the 40.5 degrees high recorded in 2013 in Bad Deutsch-Altenburg.
Lower Austrians to have electricity bills subsidised.
People with their main residence in Lower Austria will receive funding to help with their electricity bills, based on the number of people in their households.
The funding will be capped at 80 percent of the average energy bill, meaning those who use less energy will benefit the most. It will be possible to apply for the discount from September 1st, with payments being made monthly from October. There are also calls for a nation-wide electricity price cap to be introduced.
More states given “high risk” rating by Austria’s Covid traffic light commission
Austria’s Covid traffic light commission has designated seven of the country’s states as orange, which means there is a “high risk” of being infected.
Only in Carinthia and Styria is there a medium risk (yellow). The commission may now change its focus to hospital admissions rather than infections, due to variations in testing across Austria.
Cheer on Austria’s women's national team at Vienna’s Rathaus
There will be a chance to watch Austria’s women’s national team play Germany on the big screen in front of Vienna’s Rathaus this evening.
The quarter-final match of the Euro championships will be shown on Thursday from 21:00.
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Gas flows again through Nord Stream One
Austria has breathed a sigh of relief as gas has started flowing again through Nord Stream One, a Russian-German gas pipeline, after it was closed for maintenance.
However it will take time until it can transport the gas at full capacity, around 67 million cubic meters per day, the Krone newspaper reports.
It had been feared that Russia might close the pipeline and cut off the gas. Austria’s gas storage facilities are currently more than 50 percent full, representing about half of Austria's annual consumption.
EU calls on countries to reduce gas consumption
The EU is calling on all countries to reduce their gas consumption by 15 percent by spring. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen presented the new EU plans to further reduce dependence on Russian gas on Wednesday, in order to stop Russia using energy as a weapon.
Austria’s Energy Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens) described the EU proposals as “reasonable”, broadcaster ORF reports. However, she also called for greater speed over plans for joint gas purchasing.
Austria is in a particularly weak position as it is heavily reliant on Russian gas. In 2021 Austria imported 86 percent of its gas from Russia.
As it is a landlocked country, it is harder for Austria to obtain gas by other routes than pipelines. In Austria inflation recently climbed to 8.7 percent, but according to the head of the Austrian Economic Research Institute, Gabriel Felbermayr, inflation could double if gas stops flowing to the country, and the European economy would slide into recession.
Sweltering weather in Austria continues
Most of Austria sweltered on Wednesday, with around 160 of the 280 weather stations in the Alpine republic displaying temperatures of 30 degrees or higher.
Record temperatures were recorded at high altitudes, with the Patscherkofel in Tyrol and on the Villacher Alpe in Carinthia, which are 2,000 degrees above sea level, both reaching over 20 degrees. In Innsbruck, it was 37 degrees.
However, Austria’s highest ever temperature record still stands. This was the 40.5 degrees high recorded in 2013 in Bad Deutsch-Altenburg.
Lower Austrians to have electricity bills subsidised.
People with their main residence in Lower Austria will receive funding to help with their electricity bills, based on the number of people in their households.
The funding will be capped at 80 percent of the average energy bill, meaning those who use less energy will benefit the most. It will be possible to apply for the discount from September 1st, with payments being made monthly from October. There are also calls for a nation-wide electricity price cap to be introduced.
More states given “high risk” rating by Austria’s Covid traffic light commission
Austria’s Covid traffic light commission has designated seven of the country’s states as orange, which means there is a “high risk” of being infected.
Only in Carinthia and Styria is there a medium risk (yellow). The commission may now change its focus to hospital admissions rather than infections, due to variations in testing across Austria.
Cheer on Austria’s women's national team at Vienna’s Rathaus
There will be a chance to watch Austria’s women’s national team play Germany on the big screen in front of Vienna’s Rathaus this evening.
The quarter-final match of the Euro championships will be shown on Thursday from 21:00.
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