Multiple German Cities Preparing Heated Public Shelters for Winter, Reports Say

BERLIN (Sputnik) - A number of German cities are preparing measures for the event of energy shortages in winter, including the creation of heated public shelters for those who cannot afford heating at home, Bild reported on Sunday.

Such a center will be created in the city of Ludwigshafen in Rhineland-Palatinate, among others, according to the report.

"With an eye on autumn and winter, we are preparing for all emergency scenarios," city's mayor Jutta Steinruk was quoted as saying by Bild.

The authorities of Neustadt, Frankenthal and Landau also intend to prepare such centers. Cities might use temporary COVID-19 facilities opened in 2020 in sports arenas, exhibition halls and concert venues for the purpose, Bild noted.

Pumpjacks of Wintershall DEA extracting crude oil at an old oil field in Emlichheim, Germany, Friday, March 18, 2022.

© AP Photo / Martin Meissner

In addition, it is planned to turn off facade lighting in buildings and traffic lights at night, the report said. In Rendsburg, Schleswig-Holstein, the authorities decided not to install an ice rink at the city's Christmas market, as the cooling equipment is too energy-intensive, Bild said.

The start of hostilities in Ukraine in February only exacerbated the energy crisis unfolding in Europe over the past year. Disruptions in logistical and financial operations due to Western sanctions against Russia have undermined supply chains and led to a spike in energy prices worldwide.