Can Austria reduce its dependency on Russian gas?
Russia's gas exports have given it significant geopolitical power alongside the war in Ukraine. How can Austria reduce its reliance on Russian gas imports?
The Ukraine war has exposed how reliant Austria is on Russian gas – but according to experts, it may be possible for it to reduce this dependency before long, broadcaster ORF reports.
The EU Commission wants to present a proposal by mid-May to reduce dependence on Russian gas imports by 2027.
The EU's new energy policy, REPowerEU, already envisages reducing Russian gas imports by almost two-thirds by the end of the year and partially replacing them with liquefied natural gas (LNG) from non-Russian suppliers.
READ MORE: Russia’s attack on Ukraine will ‘deeply destabilise food supplies in Europe’
A switch to renewable energies is also planned.
However, according to Austria's Federation of Industry (IV) there is no short term alternative to gas from Russia.
IV boss Georg Knill said Austria must not "recklessly jeopardise its own energy supply", in a press release.
Austria is aiming for all its electricity to be from renewable sources by 2030. However, a Court of Auditors (RH) found in 2021 that Austria would miss this target on the basis of measures it has taken so far.
It also found greenhouse gas emissions in Austria increased by five percent from 1990 to 2017, while they fell by almost a quarter on average in the EU.
Austrian environmental organisations are calling for greater use of biogas, better renovation of existing buildings, and more use of solar energy.
There should also be an expansion of wind and geothermal energy. Vienna wants to end its use of gas by 2040, and is building the largest large-scale heat pump in Europe in Simmering.
READ MORE: How will the war in Ukraine impact the cost of living in Austria?
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The Ukraine war has exposed how reliant Austria is on Russian gas – but according to experts, it may be possible for it to reduce this dependency before long, broadcaster ORF reports.
The EU Commission wants to present a proposal by mid-May to reduce dependence on Russian gas imports by 2027.
The EU's new energy policy, REPowerEU, already envisages reducing Russian gas imports by almost two-thirds by the end of the year and partially replacing them with liquefied natural gas (LNG) from non-Russian suppliers.
READ MORE: Russia’s attack on Ukraine will ‘deeply destabilise food supplies in Europe’
A switch to renewable energies is also planned.
However, according to Austria's Federation of Industry (IV) there is no short term alternative to gas from Russia.
IV boss Georg Knill said Austria must not "recklessly jeopardise its own energy supply", in a press release.
Austria is aiming for all its electricity to be from renewable sources by 2030. However, a Court of Auditors (RH) found in 2021 that Austria would miss this target on the basis of measures it has taken so far.
It also found greenhouse gas emissions in Austria increased by five percent from 1990 to 2017, while they fell by almost a quarter on average in the EU.
Austrian environmental organisations are calling for greater use of biogas, better renovation of existing buildings, and more use of solar energy.
There should also be an expansion of wind and geothermal energy. Vienna wants to end its use of gas by 2040, and is building the largest large-scale heat pump in Europe in Simmering.
READ MORE: How will the war in Ukraine impact the cost of living in Austria?
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