Minister of Economic Affairs
Katherina Reiche wants to secure the gas supply with long-term supply contracts. Agreements with as many suppliers as possible are needed, said the CDU politician. The aim is to cushion possible supply interruptions in the Middle East and to strengthen security of supply in Germany and Europe. “If you protect yourself with long-term delivery contracts, you also protect yourself against price jumps,” said Reiche.
This is already happening. The federally owned gas supplier Sefe, formerly Gazpromwill announce a tender for liquefied natural gas (LNG) deliveries in the years 2027 to 2036. These deliveries should come primarily to Germany, France, the Netherlands and Belgium and are not intended for destinations outside Europe.
Supply relationships to Algeria
In addition, the energy company VNG from Leipzig will also expand its supply relationships with Algeria. “With Azerbaijan, another supplier is available for additional gas volumes via pipelines,” Reiche told the press.
So far, the consequences of the Iran war have hit Asia more than Europe, said Reiche. Germany currently receives almost no natural gas from the Gulf region. But a deterioration in the economy is also clearly visible here, she said to the inflation rate of 2.7 percent in March. The consequences for the economy depended primarily on the duration of the conflict.
Criticism from environmentalists
Reiche spoke out in favor of further increasing the commuter allowance in order to relieve the burden on people who rely on cars. The black-red coalition is also examining further relief. However, decisions are not expected until after Easter.
At the same time, Reiche advocated weakening EU climate protection rules for the import of natural gas. “EU law, such as the Methane Ordinance, must not hinder reliable energy deliveries to Germany,” demanded Reiche. The greenhouse gas methane is often released during gas production. According to the EU Methane Regulation, attention must be paid to methane emissions along the supply chain when importing gas.
There was strong criticism from climate activists. German Environmental Aid criticized Reich, among other things Push to weaken EU climate protection rules. “Reiche continues to work through the gas industry’s wish list,” wrote Umwelthilfe. Companies from the USA in particular wanted to deliver gas to Germany, even though it was produced under particularly climate-damaging conditions.