Russian gas shipments via Ukraine to Hungary halted at 15:30 on January 6th 2009.
Russian gas shipments via Ukraine to Hungary halted at 15:30 on January 6th 2009, Csaba Molnar, Minister in Charge of Energy Issues said on January 6th 2009 after a meeting of the Gas Supply Crisis Committee. The crisis committee called on power plants that have access to alternative energy sources to limit their gas consumption from 11:00 on January 7th 2009. Limiting consumption of the power plants is expected to "save" a daily 6 to 8 million cubic meters of gas. Preparations are being made to release gas from Hungary's 500 million-cubic-meter strategic reserve. The reserve is capable of releasing 3.6 million cubic meters a day. Hungary also has a little more than 3 billion cubic meters of commercial gas stores capable of releasing a daily 51.5 million cubic meters. Daily gas consumption on January 6th was expected to reach 68 million cubic meters.
