BERLIN (Reuters) – The German government is considering converting parts of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline into a connection for a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal on the Baltic Sea coast.
The magazine Der Spiegel, which does not cite sources, reported on Friday that the German economy ministry is considering “expropriating” the part of the network located on German territory and cutting it off from the rest of the pipeline.
Russia said that if Germany took such action, it would be within the competence of the lawyers.
Russian gas giant Gazprom completed the Nord Stream 2 pipeline late last year, which was meant to double the flow of Russian gas directly to Germany, but has yet to be used. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced it would not be commissioned after severing relations with Moscow on the eve of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Natural gas flows from Russia have been declining for weeks and Germany, aware of the risk of energy shortages damaging the economy, is looking for emergency reception sites for liquefied natural gas purchased on the world spot market. .
Germany chartered four floating storage and regasification units (UFSR) in May in order to reduce its dependence on Russian supply by pipeline.
A reception site by sea on the Baltic, which would be added to those of Wilhelmshaven and Brunsbüttel, in the North Sea, would make it possible to increase capacities.
Eastern and southern Germany are particularly dependent on Russian gas and would benefit from this diversification, according to Spiegel.
(Report Paul Carrel and Vera Eckert; French version Federica Mileo)
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