ევროკავშირის ენერგეტიკის კომისარი: თვითმფრინავის საწვავის დეფიციტის საფრთხე არსებობს, მაგრამ არა უშუალო

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — EU Energy Commissioner said on Wednesday that while there is no immediate threat of jet fuel supply, the possibility of a long-term shortage cannot be ruled out.Commissioner Dan Jørgensen told reporters that any shortage would depend on how the Iran war develops and the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as how airlines react after some companies, including Lufthansa's owner, canceled a significant number of flights.Fighting around the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil usually passes, is disrupting supplies and driving up fuel prices worldwide.While Jørgensen said "we're not there yet" in terms of jet fuel shortages, he said the bloc's executive body will start talks with member states "on how to deal with the situation" without offering any specifics.Iran's war has caused jet fuel prices to double in some markets since late February, and airlines are particularly vulnerable as fuel costs make up a large part of their operating costs.Last month, the head of the International Energy Agency, Fatih Birol, told the Associated Press in an exclusive interview that Europe has "perhaps six weeks or so" left of jet fuel supplies.He also warned of possible flight cancellations "soon" if oil supplies remain blocked "due to Iran's war".The commissioner said the fact that the bloc has paid 35 billion euros (41 billion dollars) in extra costs for the same amount of fuel since the start of Iran's war highlights the need for a rapid transition away from fossil fuels."This really isn't an energy crisis. It's a fossil fuel crisis," Jørgensen said, adding that while the EU has diversified its energy supply, become more energy-efficient, and added more renewable energy since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.The Cypriot Energy Minister, Michael Damanos, who currently holds the EU's rotating presidency, said fossil fuels such as natural gas will remain part of the bloc's energy mix in the near future, even as the goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040 remains firm.He added that natural gas deposits discovered off Cyprus' southern coast could reach European markets by the end of next year, or by early 2028.The EU Commissioner said the bloc remains "very committed" to rapidly reducing greenhouse gas emissions, as "the climate crisis is not going away".In the long term, the EU Commissioner said the bloc is in talks with Gulf countries on how energy flows from the region will be restored after a deal with Iran is reached.Last month, EU Council President Antonio Costa and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc was ready for new projects with Gulf countries that would shift energy to global markets that would not be held hostage by war or geopolitical instability.