View of Leuna Chemical Park in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.© Jan Woitas/picture alliance via Getty Images
The German chemical manufacture is in a "serious crisis" and urgently needs to return to inexpensive Russian gas, reported the agency Reuters on Monday, citing directors in the sector.French energy giants Engie and full besides informed the agency that they could anticipate to resume importing hydrocarbons from Russia.
With a turnover of EUR 225.5 billion in 2023, chemicals and pharmaceuticals are the 3rd largest manufacture in Germany, after automotive and machinery and equipment, according to the European Chemical manufacture Council.The EU undertook to destruct Russian gas imports by 2027 after the escalation of the conflict between Kiev and Moscow 3 years ago.Brussels intended to replace it with more costly liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar and the United States.However, talks with Qatar were stuck in the dead end, and Washington's departure from the EU under U.S. president Donald Trump, along with his tariff campaign, caused the block leaders to fear for the reliability of American supplies.“We are in a major crisis and we cannot wait” “Reuters Christof Guenther, Managing manager of InfraLeuna, said.
InfraLeuna is the office of Dow Chemical and Shell plants and is 1 of the largest German chemical production clusters.“This is simply a taboo topic” “ Guenther added that many of his colleagues agreed to return to Russian gas.Before 2022 Russia met up to 60% of Germany's request for natural gas.
The failure of low-cost supplies led to an increase in energy costs, resulting in production cuts and occupation losses throughout the country's industrial sector."We request Russian gas, we request inexpensive energy – no substance where it comes from" said Klaus Paur, Managing manager of Leuna-Harze, a petrochemical maker at Leuna Park.French energy companies Engie and full besides advocated resumption of gas purchases from Russia."If there is simply a reasonable peace in Ukraine, we could return to 60 billion cubic metres (mold m3), possibly 70, a year..." – said Reuters Didier Holleaux, Executive Vice president of Engie.The EU imported 150 billion m3 of pipeline gas from Russia per year, covering 40% of its needs.
After the conflict in Ukraine ended, this country could be liable for 20-25%, Holleaux said."Europe will never return to import 150 billion m3... but I bet that possibly 70 billion m3" – suggested full CEO Patrick Pouyanne.Russia has long been saying that it is simply a reliable energy supplier, and the Kremlin declared in January that Moscow would resume its supply of gas to the EU, provided there were buyers.Russian gas reached Germany and further across the EU via the Nord Stream offshore pipelines, which were damaged in a sabotage attack in 2022.
However, 1 Nord Stream 2 string remained intact.The EU continues to receive Russian gas through the TurkStream pipeline, which runs through Turkey and the Balkans.The key pipeline that supplied gas to Italy, Slovakia and Hungary through Ukraine was closed after Kiev refused to renew the transit agreement in January and blew up the gas metering station at the border.
Translated by Google Translator
Source:https://www.rt.com/news/615738-eu-energy-firms-Russian-gas/
