Supply chaos clouds European gas outlook
Europe may be pushing to diversify gas imports, but two surprise supply shocks have put the sector on edge
Disruption to European gas supply following the explosion at Austria's Baumgarten gas hub on 12 December, along with the shutdown of the Fortes Pipeline System (FPS) supplying oil and gas to the UK from North Sea fields, have highlighted energy security concerns on a continent where gas demand is on the rise. The Baumgarten explosion, which hub operator Gas Austria Connect has said could be related to a technical fault in the filter system, knocked out a critical nexus for trans-European supply to several countries, including Italy, Germany, Croatia, Hungary and Slovenia. It sent gas and electricity prices soaring in the immediate aftermath of the incident. In Italy, which was worst affected
Also in this section
16 April 2026
Demand for oil is falling because supply cannot meet it, not because it is no longer required
16 April 2026
The continent has an immediate opportunity to make the most of its energy resources by capturing gas that is currently slipping away
15 April 2026
The continent is seeing political pushback to climate plans, corporate reassessment of transition goals and rising supply risk in a fractured global order
15 April 2026
The Middle East energy crisis may turn out to be pivotal to the industry’s long-term expansion, but significant challenges still stand in its way






