Germany is set to start burning more coal in a bid to ensure energy supplies can last throughout the winter, as fears grow that Russia could shut off gas pipelines altogether.

The move forms part of a scheme to save gas so that storage tanks can be filled in the run up to the winter months.

“This means that gas consumption must continue to fall, so more gas must be stored in storage, otherwise things will get really tight in winter,” the German economy and climate minister Robert Habeck said in a statement.

Here’s what you need to know.

Why does Germany need to save gas, and how is it going about it?

Before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 24 February, 55 per cent of Germany’s gas was imported from Russia – last year, gas burning produced 15.3 per cent of German electricity, with gas being used to heat half of the country’s 41.5 million homes.

The Nord Stream 1 pipeline is currently running at 40 per cent capacity, with Russian suppliers Gazprom having announced on Wednesday that it was reducing the supply from 167 million cubic metres per day to 67 million cubic metres, in what Habeck described as a “political decision.”

With it becoming increasingly possible that Russia will cut off the supply completely, as it has done to others such as Finland and Bulgaria, the German government is intent upon avoiding an energy crisis in winter.

In order to store its dwindling supply, Germany is being forced to use less gas. The measures being put in place include an emergency law to use more coal fired power plants for a “transitional period.”

Despite the German climate policy of phasing out coal by 2030, Habeck said: “The gas storage tanks must be full in winter. That has top priority.”

The government also plans to launch an auction system in which industrial companies will be compensated if they cut their gas consumption.

While hoping to reduce consumption, Germany is also increasing imports of liquified natural gas (LNG) and gas from Norwegian pipelines.

Why is Germany in this position?

Germany’s reliance on Russian energy is a long-standing problem. Besides gas, Germany also imports significant amounts of crude oil and coal from Russia.

The opposition of successive governments to nuclear power, as a result of accidents like Chernobyl and Fukushima, and the subsequent nuclear phase-out, which was set to be completed this year, has compounded the problem, leaving Germany more dependent on imported gas.

“It was a mistake in German economic policy that we concentrated too much of our energy supply in Russia without building the necessary infrastructure so that we could change course quickly if the worst happened,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in an interview with German Newspaper Die Welt.

However, he still backed the policy of his predecessor, Angela Merkel. “[An] attempt at reconciliation can never be wrong,” Scholz said, “and neither can an attempt to get along peacefully [with Russia].”

What about other countries who import gas from Russia?

Italy – which gets about 40 per cent of its gas from Russia – has said that it could be forced to implement a “state of alert,” possibly involving gas rationing, if Russia continues to reduce gas supply.

Last week, Italian energy company Eni said it was only set to receive half of the 63 million cubic metres per day it had requested.

Italy is currently agreeing deals for the supply of LNG from Africa and the Middle East, including from Algeria, Israel and Qatar.

The Austrian government has also agreed with electricity provider Verbund to convert a reserve gas plant, so that it will be able to produce energy using coal if Russia shuts off gas supplies.

In recent months, Russia has shut off supplies to Bulgaria, Poland and Finland, after they refused to pay for it in roubles. A number of other European countries, including France, have also stopped receiving Russian gas.