Going Dark: Germans Prepare For Winter Without Russian Gas

This is how the famed riverside of Dresden looked on the evening of August 22. Bright lights usually showcase the eastern German city's architecture, but in recent weeks the skyline has gone dark. 

 

In Berlin too, historic sites stand largely unlit after sunset. People enjoy a summer evening next to Berlin's central cathedral. 
 

Gas lanterns are lit at a minimum in Berlin. 

The power-saving measures are part of an attempt by Germany to reduce its energy consumption and stockpile gas as supplies from Russia become increasingly uncertain.

A corner of Berlin's Reichstag at dusk. 

Germany relies heavily on Russia for its energy needs. Before the Kremlin's February 24 invasion of Ukraine, 55 percent of Germany's gas was purchased from Russia. 

A worker dismantles a gas street lamp in Berlin on August 10. 

The Kremlin appears to be using its gas-powered leverage to pressure Germany over its support for Ukraine. Flows of Russian gas through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline were cut to less than 20 percent of capacity in July, with Russia's Gazprom citing "equipment repairs" for the strangled gas flow. 

Berlin's Victory Column is among the monuments that have gone dark. 

On August 24, Germany approved drastic measures to cut back on energy use including limiting heating to 19 degrees Celsius (66 degrees Fahrenheit) inside public buildings and switching off aesthetic lighting on monuments. A ban on private heated swimming pools is also being considered. 

The town hall of Augsburg and the surrounding square are normally brightly lit in the evening. 

From September, Germany's rail network will prioritize trains carrying coal and oil, meaning passenger trains will need to wait as the fuel wagons move through. 

A brown coal excavator works at the Tagebau Hambach mine on August 17. 

The coal industry in Germany is currently seeing a surge in sales as consumers prepare for winter and gas bills for households climb. 

A worker fills bags with coal at Hans Engelke Energie, a heating products company, in Berlin on August 10. 

In August, the head of Hans Engelke Energie told AFP new customers had arrived en masse this year for cheap coal and wood products and that he had postponed his holidays to keep up with demand. “Those who heat with gas but who still have a [coal-burning] stove at home now all want to have coal,” he said. 

The darkened Frauenkirche in Dresden seen on August 22. 

Some have expressed fears of mass unrest in Germany as winter approaches and energy continues to be restricted and more expensive. Chancellor Olaf Scholz recently described soaring energy costs as a "powder keg for society." 

A floating liquefied natural gas terminal was under construction near Wilhelmshaven on August 16. 

Germany is building two gas terminals that will streamline imports from other countries as it attempts to stockpile in time for winter. Berlin is aiming to fill gas reserves to 95 percent by November.