Germany would be confronted with "difficult societal decisions" in the event of a gas shortage, its economy minister said on Friday, as Russian supplies of the fuel dwindle.
"When there is not enough gas, some industries that need gas will have to be turned off," Economy Minister Robert Habeck told magazine Der Spiegel.
On Thursday, Habeck raised the alert level under Germany's emergency gas plan after supplies of gas from Russia were slashed, bringing Europe's economy one step closer to rationing.
Russian energy giant Gazprom last week reduced deliveries via the Nord Stream pipeline to Germany by 60 per cent, attributing the move to a delayed repair.
Germany has dismissed the gas company's technical justification, seeing a "political" motive behind the decision: retaliation for the West's support for Ukraine following Moscow's invasion.
The reduction in supplies has put Germany in a position it had never been before, Habeck said, with both German industries and households both reliant on energy imports to meet their needs.
Without enough gas, Germany would "have to make difficult societal decisions", Habeck said, adding that there were "no good decisions, only less wrong ones".
The consequences for some sectors could be "catastrophic" with the effects felt for "a long time", the minister said.
Germany has mandated for its gas storage facilities to be 90 per cent full by the beginning of December.
But projections put forward by Habeck's ministry on Thursday showed the target was unlikely to be met if gas flows continued at their new lower level.
In response to the supply squeeze, Germany has reactivated mothballed coal power plants to take the burden off gas.
Habeck, a member of the German Green party, called the coal restart "painful".
The "half step back" meant Germany would need to make "bigger steps" forward in future to wean itself off fossil fuels and onto renewables, he said.
The government has also encouraged energy savings among private households and industry to mitigate the impact of potential shortages.
Germany's 41 million households turning their heating down in winter a little would make a big difference, Habeck said, while warning that not everyone would be able to save more.
Under European rules, a gas rationing plan would see households prioritised over industry, a situation not designed for long-term shortages, he said.
A “difficult winter” could mean "companies must stop production, workers lose their jobs" and "people become poorer"
"Our goal is not to let anyone go to the dogs," Habeck said, but warned a "difficult winter" could mean "companies must stop production, workers lose their jobs" and "people become poorer".