Austrian authorities called on businesses to speed up the transition away from Russian gas – Kommersant

The Austrian Ministry of Climate and Energy calls on Gas Connect Austria to complete the pipeline extension project to Germany. With the help of this project, the country will be able to reduce its dependence on Russian gas. A company representative stated Bloombergthat negotiations are being delayed due to new tariffs, certain aspects of Austrian legislation and the lack of long-term orders.

Earlier this year, the Austrian ministry approved a project to extend the gas pipeline to Germany by 40 km. It will cover a third of the country’s annual needs, but Gas Connect Austria has not applied for environmental permits, which has complicated the project’s implementation.

Bloomberg notes that Austria’s storage facilities are now almost completely filled with Russian gas, which the country receives from Gazprom under a contract valid until 2040. Gas is supplied in transit through Ukraine, the contract for which expires in December 2024. The agency notes that the parties may not agree on its extension.

Walter Bolz, former head of E-Control, the state regulator for electricity and gas in Austria, in an interview with Bloomberg pointed out the risk of interruptions in gas supplies after the expiration of the transit agreement. “In 2025 and 2026, the risk is not so much that there will be no gas, but that prices could be quite high again,” Mr. Bolz said. He also notes that Austria “needs to avoid a new price crisis.”

Read more about Russian gas supplies to Europe in the Kommersant article.“Russian LNG straightened its shoulder”.

Delgir Mandzhieva