Denmark declares 'early warning' for potential gas supply disruptions

"Early warning means that a situation with a significantly deteriorating gas supply situation may arise. It is a signal to the players in the gas market to prepare for a real supply crisis," the agency said in a statement. The step is the first out of three in an emergency plan, which if escalated could mean rationing by limiting supplies to some industry users.

Denmark's energy agency said on Monday it had activated the first step of a three-stage emergency gas supply plan, which effectively means a tighter monitoring of the market, due to uncertainty about gas supplies from Russia.

The energy agency said gas supplies were guaranteed for now but urged consumers and companies to reduce consumption and said it has an emergency plan in place if supplies were disrupted. "Early warning means that a situation with a significantly deteriorating gas supply situation may arise. It is a signal to the players in the gas market to prepare for a real supply crisis," the agency said in a statement.

The step is the first out of three in an emergency plan, which if escalated could mean rationing by limiting supplies to some industry users. Last week, Russian gas supply to Europe via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline fell and Moscow said more delays in repairs could lead to suspending all flows.