The risks of shortages drove gas prices higher for a third day. The European Commission this week unveiled radical intervention plan including raising 140 billion euros ($140 billion) for consumers from energy companies’ earnings, mandatory curb on peak power demand and boosting liquidity.

German year-ahead electricity futures plunged as much as 54% from Monday’s peak above 1,000 euros a megawatt-hour as the European Union considers various measures to intervene in the market to damp runaway energy costs crippling economies across the bloc.

Canada is already a global leader in blue hydrogen production, or that produced using natural gas feedstocks paired with carbon capture.

“The still high increase in consumer prices and the expected additional costs for heating and electricity are currently having a particularly negative impact on the prospects for the consumer-related sectors of the economy,” said Michael Schröder, a researcher at the ZEW.

With nearly half of German homes relying on gas for heating, the country faces potential rationing if it fails to secure sufficient reserves.

Hard-coal output averaged 6.36 GW for Week 31 (Aug. 1-8), up 21% week-on-week, while gas fell 24% to 4.26 GW.

The incentive to reduce gas consumption is huge after Putin reduced supplies to Germany via the Nord Steam 1 pipeline. The Dutch TTF gas contract, a European benchmark, is trading above 205 euros ($209) per megawatt hour, 10 times its average in the decade through 2020 and equivalent to about $350 per barrel of oil.

“Such a collapse would have massive consequences for the entire economy and jobs in Germany.”

German leaders are stepping up warnings of impending turmoil and natural-gas shortages in Europe’s biggest economy, which relies on Russia for about one-third of its energy.

German Economy Minister Robert Habeck will enact the “alarm” phase of the plan when he speaks at 10 a.m. local time Thursday on energy and supply security.