Habeck visits Oslo
Norway wants to deliver more natural gas to Germany
3/16/2022, 9:33 p.m
Economics Minister Habeck wants to get out of Russian natural gas as quickly as possible. On a trip to Oslo, he secures help: Norway is currently Germany’s second largest supplier and wants to increase its production volumes. A hydrogen pipeline is also being considered.
Norway wants to deliver more natural gas to Europe during the energy crisis and help Germany with special ships. “We are trying everything to increase production,” said Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Störe during the visit of Economics Minister Robert Habeck in Oslo. The state-dominated supplier Equinor will be able to pump an additional 1.4 billion cubic meters of gas to Europe in the summer. In addition, Norway wants to help Germany with special ships for liquid gas (LNG).
According to German government circles, there are several ships that the federal government will co-finance. They can turn the liquid fuel back into gas offshore, eliminating the need for a whole new terminal. Such a facility is planned in Wilhelmshaven so that the gas can be brought ashore quickly. Germany gets more than half of its gas from Russia and is looking for alternative suppliers against the background of the invasion of Ukraine. Norway is already the second largest with around 30 percent. Germany needs about 100 billion cubic meters of gas per year.
Hydrogen by pipeline?
In the medium term, Germany also wants to obtain hydrogen from Norway. Norway and Germany formed a working group to explore possibilities. According to Habeck, this should deliver results in about six months. It is also being examined whether a separate pipeline to Germany needs to be built for this. The German Vice Chancellor was open to so-called blue hydrogen. Hydrogen is generated with natural gas and the released CO2 is stored in caverns under the North Sea. “If the CO2 is stored, it is climate-neutral gas,” said Habeck.
In the long term, however, they want to be supplied with hydrogen produced with the help of renewable energies. “On the way there, it is better to store the CO2 than to blow it into the atmosphere,” said Habeck. However, high environmental standards must apply, according to a joint paper by the two countries. Blue hydrogen is viewed critically, especially by the Greens, as there are doubts about permanent, safe storage. However, the coalition agreement of the traffic light government has opened up this option.