Germany to build LNG terminals at ‘Tesla speed’ in shift away from Russian gas

(Climate Home News, 28 Apr 2022) As Russia’s war on Ukraine enters its third month, Germany’s vice-chancellor Robert Habeck called for unprecedented measures to decrease the country’s reliance on Russian gas and counter the Kremlin’s energy blackmail.

Gas is the second most important energy source in Germany, 55% of which is imported from Russia.

Building new LNG import facilities to diversify supplies will take three to five years, the government says. And shifting energy uses away from gas will require significant infrastructure changes, a slow-moving process.

The German government has estimated that independence from Russian gas will be achieved in mid-2024. Asked whether a 2023 date for independence was achievable, Habeck told journalists that “of course, it is not realistic according to German [construction] time calculation”.

“If I had told you during the election campaign that I would build an LNG [liquified natural gas] terminal in ten months’ time, you would have said: here are these politicians with their weird election campaign promises, they never keep them,” he added.

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Climate Home News, 28 Apr 2022: Germany to build LNG terminals at ‘Tesla speed’ in shift away from Russian gas