Natural gas: Austria seeks way out of dependence on Russia
Austria still obtains the majority of its natural gas from Russia. A commission is now examining the supply contract, which runs until 2040.
Austria's then Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (right) and Vladminir Putin (2nd from right) during the signing of the Gasliver Treaty in June 2018.
(Image: Bundeskanzleramt Österreich auf Youtube)
Austria still obtains up to 90 percent of its natural gas from Russia. In order to reduce this dependency, a commission is now examining the gas supply contract between the Russian supplier Gazprom and the Austrian partially state-owned energy company OMV, which runs until 2040. The commission set up by the Ministry of Energy is also to examine the political circumstances under which the contract, which was due to run until 2028, was extended in 2018.
"Dependence on Russian gas supplies remains a key threat to our energy supply," said the responsible minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens). The task now is to learn from the mistakes of the past and promote independence. Individual members of the commission will be given an insight into the gas supply contract. Confidentiality is guaranteed and OMV's business secrets are protected.
Fixed purchase obligation
The contract, which was extended until 2040 in 2018 under the then OMV CEO Rainer Seele, contains a fixed purchase obligation for large quantities of natural gas and provides for payment even if no gas is supplied. The then Federal Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and Russian President Vladimir Putin were also present at the signing of the contract at the beginning of June 2018. From January to May 2024, more than 90 percent of Austrian gas imports came from Russia.
The civil law contract affects the whole of Austria and restricts the scope for energy and security policy, explained lawyer Irmgard Griss, who is a member of the commission. "As the Gas Independence Commission, we will closely examine the gas supply contract and how it came about. And we will offer suggestions as to what should be considered when concluding such far-reaching contracts in the future."
In 2022, around 22% of the natural gas imported into Germany came from Russia. Following the suspension of Russian supplies from September 2022 as a result of the sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 offshore pipeline, Russia completely stopped importing natural gas directly to Germany.
(anw)
