|
Russia has imposed sanctions mainly on European subsidiaries of
state-owned Gazprom, including Gazprom Germania, an energy
trading, storage and transmission business that Germany placed
under trusteeship last month to secure supplies.
"Gazprom and its subsidaries are affected," Habeck told the
Bundestag lower house. "This means some of the subsidiaries are
getting no more gas from Russia. But the market is offering
alternatives. They are getting gas on the market."
Russia's sanctions and an EU plan to ban Russian oil imports
drove up energy prices on Wednesday, highlighting the economic
costs of the bloc's push to untangle itself from the grip of
Russian energy imports in response to the Ukraine invasion.
The decree signed by President Vladimir Putin forbids the export
of products and raw materials to people and entities on the
sanctions list, which includes the Polish part of the Yamal
pipeline that carries Russian gas to Europe.
The European Union - which imports one-third of its gas from
Russia - is split on the speed and scope of a phase-out of
Russian energy imports. Hungary has opposed a ban on Russian
oil.
"We are monitoring the situation. We have prepared ourselves for
the situation. The regulator will inform you later today," said
Habeck. "But the situation is such that the market is able to
compensate for Russian gas. This conflict proves that energy is
a weapon."
Russia's list includes 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 trader which
supplies industry and local utilities.
Wingas has said it would continue operating under the new
circumstances but would be exposed to shortages.
Rivals Uniper, VNG or RWE could be potential sources of supply
to the market.
RWE CFO Michael Mueller said the sanctions had not affected his
company's gas storage facilities.
"In view of a possible gas embargo, we have made provisions for
our Russian supply contracts," he said. "At the start of the
war, we had contracted a total of 15 terawatt hours until 2023.
We have now reduced our exposure to less than 4 terawatt hours."
(Additional reporting by Chris Steitz and Vera Eckert in
Frankfurt; Editing by Edmund Klamann)
[© 2022 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
|
