Reuters said that the German Ministry of Economy's statement was made after the Financial Times revealed that a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin is mobilizing a corridor to revive the $11 billion Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project.
Independence on Russian gas is a strategic issue for the German government in terms of national security, and we are determined to keep it, the German Economy Ministry stressed, denying any talks with Russia on the possibility of restarting Nord Stream 2.
Since the outbreak of the Ukrainian conflict, Germany has shifted gas supplies, with Norway now the main supplier to replace Russia.
Not only Berlin, but also Baltic countries strongly opposed any efforts to restart the project. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna frankly stated: The most suitable place for Nord Stream 2 is at the bottom of the sea, dissolved into pieces.
Estonia, along with Latvia and Lithuania, have recently completed a break from Russia's power system, taking another step towards cutting off dependence on energy from Moscow.
The Nord Stream 2 project owned by Russia's Gazprom Group was suspended in 2022 after Moscow recognized breakaway areas in Ukraine. Less than a year later, part of the pipeline was destroyed in a mysterious explosion in September 2022.
Although a Swiss court has just extended the debt restructuring period for Nord Stream 2 until May 9, if it fails to reach a solution, the project could face the risk of bankruptcy.
The German government stressed that the pipeline was unlicensed and could not be put into operation - a almost certain end to Moscow's ambitions to restore the project.
Although gas still plays an important role in the German energy system, a McKinsey study predicts that consumption could decrease by 3% to 7% by 2030.
The current German government - with a more conservative trend - is expected to adjust energy policies to a more realistic direction, avoiding risks caused by the energy transition being more ambitious.
However, with German households and businesses using 45% of their annual gas, industry using 30% and power plants using 25%, the gas overcharging period could be longer than expected.
