Page 16 - EurOil Week 15 2022

EurOil POLICY EurOil

Bavarian leader calls for fracking

to be resumed

GERMANY GERMANY should consider using hydraulic For the time being, German Economy Minis-
fracturing to boost domestic natural gas supply, ter Robert Habeck has ruled out a change in pol-
Germany wants to the president of its southern state of Bavaria, icy, and because shale gas development would
revive domestic gas Markus Soder, said in an interview with local take too long to have an impact on the crisis
production, but for the media on April 10. today anyway.
time being the federal The federal German government introduced “I don’t think this is the way we should go,
government has ruled a temporary ban on fracturing to exploit shale and it doesn’t really help us in the scenarios we
out allowing fracking. and coal seam gas in 2017, and the moratorium are currently calculating,” the minister said at a
has remained in place ever since. But the coun- press conference in Berlin last week. “The bridge
try is now scrambling to phase out Russian gas over natural gas is getting shorter and shorter.
imports, which it uses to cover up to half of its That means building up electrification and then
demand, and the government is looking to bol- ramping up hydrogen. This is not the best basis
ster domestic supply as one of the solutions. for an investment decision for fracking and nat-
“We have to examine what is possible and ural gas.”
reasonable with an open mind,” Soder said in Germany’s government is looking to make
an interview with Funke Mediengruppe. “As the country independent of Russian gas as early
representatives of the people, we even have the as 2024. But today the country only produces 5%
constitutional duty to keep an unbiased eye on of the gas it consumes domestically.
all options in such extraordinary times of crisis.” While reluctant to resume fracking, Germany
The Bavarian premier pointed to the US as has embraced LNG supply as a means of cutting
an example, which has freed itself from oil inde- gas ties with Moscow. Three LNG import termi-
pendence on the Middle East and emerged as nals in the country’s north are being advanced,
one of the largest LNG exporters thanks to its and the government has pledged to actively sup-
use of hydraulic fracturing. port at least two of them. ™

P16 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 15 15•April•2022