Riedel, which was founded in 1756, needs three years to source specialised materials for the high-end wine glasses and decanters it manufactures. Additionally, glass-melting furnaces can break if they are allowed to cool. This means that if energy rationing caused a manufacturing halt, the business would temporarily cease operations.
For eleven generations, the family of Maximilian Riedel has kept the furnaces in service at their glass-making business. He worries that Europe’s gasoline spat with Russia could end up shattering that tradition.
“We are at the moment and at least for the next few years to come dependent solely on gas,” Riedel said. “There isn’t a single energy provider who would agree to a three-year or even a 12-month deal with us at the moment, so we have to buy energy day by day.”
In case Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to reduce supplies, businesses across Europe are bracing for the worst as governments create backup plans for gas shortages this winter. The German government has created an emergency gas plan that calls for state control of distribution in the worst-case scenario.
Given that Riedel is a supplier of non-essential goods, the question for companies like Riedel may be where it falls on the government’s priority list. To determine which businesses should receive gasoline first if the commodity needs to be rationed, Germany’s federal community company, BNetzA, has been accumulating information on gasoline usage. According to BNetzA Vice President Barbie Kornelia Haller, last week she told the German Financial Institute that families and social services like hospitals might be prioritised over heating, food, and medical supplies.
