Away from Putin's gas?

Ex-OMV boss: now is the right time

Austria still buys huge quantities of gas from Russia's Gazprom through OMV.

(Bild: AFP)

When should OMV pull out of the gagging agreement with Russia's Gazprom? Now, say ÖVP MP Othmar Karas and former CEO Gerhard Roiss on Wednesday. Domestic gas supplies are secured until the end of 2025 anyway.

According to Roiss, now is the right time to initiate the phase-out. He does not know the details of the contract with Gazprom, but is convinced that an exit is possible.

According to Roiss, gas consumption in Austria has fallen significantly: "The storage facilities are still 70 percent full at the end of the winter." Karas adds that Austria is already no longer dependent on Russian gas: "We have to get out of the OMV-Gazprom contract. That is possible, the security of supply is given."

Gas billions for the Russian war chest
The money is being used to co-finance Russia's war against Ukraine: "It is important not only to support Ukraine, but also to turn promises into action."

"We currently have the realistic option of pulling out because Ukraine does not want to extend the transit contract," explained Karas. "This means that the gas will no longer reach us at the end of 2024." He is calling for a clear legal decision from Austria and the EU. "We must start this gradual phase-out today." He is calling on Austria to expand the 40-kilometer WAG pipeline, which runs through Upper Austria.

Karas calls for energy union
The West Austria Gas Pipeline (WAG) already runs both from east to west and from west to east. However, the capacity is significantly lower in the latter case. "This is because the WAG was originally designed to transport gas from east to west," says a statement from Gas Connect Austria. "This means, for example, that a parallel pipeline was laid after the compressor stations, but not along the entire length of the pipeline."

At EU level, Karas is calling for the Energy Union to be strengthened: "Joint gas purchasing would be beneficial and should be massively expanded." To this end, he is calling for investment in infrastructure and a genuine European internal network market.