Germany’s economy ministry will provide details on alternatives to some Russian gas import volumes later on Thursday, Economy Minister Robert Habeck said, after subsidiaries of a large player, state-supervised Gazprom Germania, have become subject to Russian sanctions.
Some subsidiaries of Gazprom Germania are receiving no gas because of sanctions imposed by Russia on western entities, Habeck said in a speech in German parliament.
He said Germany had found alternative suppliers, without providing details.
Germany last month transferred Gazprom Germania, an energy trading, storage and transmission business abandoned by Russia’s Gazprom GAZP.MM, to its energy regulator, to ensure energy security. [nL5N2W61ZJ]
Subsidiaries on Moscow’s sanctions list include Germany’s biggest gas storage facility at Rehden in Lower Saxony, with 4 billion cubic metres of capacity and operated by Astora, as well as Wingas, a big gas trader which supplies industry and many local utilities.
Wingas has said it would continue operating under the changed parameters but would be exposed to lack of gas under the latest move by the Kremlin.
Rivals Uniper UN01.DE, VNG EBKG.DE or RWE RWEG.DE might offer supplies.
This would, however, be subject to whether and for how long an ongoing controversy about how to keep paying their own long-term supply deals with Russia can be settled.
REUTERS