On a trip to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck is to discuss liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply in order to win a hydrogen contract that will reduce Germany’s reliance on Russian gas.
According to data from the Economy Ministry’s website, Russia is Germany’s largest gas supplier. Russia accounts for over half of Germany’s LNG imports.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Habeck has initiated a number of initiatives aimed at reducing Germany’s reliance on Russian energy, including substantial orders of non-Russian LNG, proposals for an LNG import facility, and a slowing of the country’s transition away from coal.
Before the journey began on Saturday, Habeck stated that the goal was to “create a medium-term hydrogen collaboration.”
“If we don’t get more gas next winter and if Russian deliveries are stopped, we won’t be able to heat all of our residences and keep all of our industry running,” Habeck told Deutschlandfunk radio.
On the trip, he will be accompanied by roughly 20 business people from Germany, many of whom will be from the energy sector.
He also wants to talk about “short-term” LNG supplies and “provide the firms that assure Germany’s gas supply the political framework to become independent of Russian gas, which are matters that could not be higher on the political agenda.”
In a broader sense, the European Commission is developing plans to reduce the European Union’s reliance on Russian gas, oil, and coal in the next five years.
Habeck, who is also the minister for climate change, recently visited Norway, as well as the world’s largest exporter, the United States.
Berlin has been chastised for its opposition to an immediate embargo on Russian energy imports as a means of cutting off a key source of foreign revenue for Moscow.
However, Germany feels that a boycott would cripple the German economy and cause massive increases in energy prices, as well as shortages.
While Russia has been chastised for its war in Ukraine, Habeck admitted in a Friday interview with ARD television that a moral dimension “does not really exist” in energy policy.
On Friday, Habeck said it was critical to maintain a continuous supply of supplies, but that the country needed to accelerate its transition from conventional natural gas to green hydrogen.
