Several EU industry leaders, including those in German chemical companies and French utility firms, have indicated that re-establishing Russian gas supplies is necessary.
Reuters reports that German chemical industry executives are calling for a return to affordable Russian gas amid what they describe as a “severe crisis.” Energy giants Engie and Total from France have also expressed openness to resuming hydrocarbon imports from Russia.
The chemical and pharmaceutical sectors in Germany generate €225.5 billion in revenue annually, making them the country’s third-largest industry, according to the European Chemical Industry Council.
Following increased tensions between Kiev and Moscow three years ago, the EU committed to phasing out Russian gas imports by 2027, with plans to replace them with LNG from Qatar and the US.
However, Reuters points out that negotiations with Qatar have been unsuccessful and concerns about the reliability of American supplies have grown due to the US’s shift in policy under President Donald Trump, including his imposition of tariffs.
“We are in a severe crisis and can’t wait,” Reuters quotes Christof Guenther, managing director of InfraLeuna, as saying. InfraLeuna, a major chemical manufacturing hub in Germany, hosts plants for Dow Chemical and Shell.
“It’s a taboo topic,” Guenther stated, noting that many of his peers agree on the need to reinstate Russian gas supplies.
Before 2022, Russia supplied up to 60% of Germany’s natural gas needs. The loss of this inexpensive energy source has driven up energy costs, leading to production cuts and job losses across Germany’s industrial sector.
”We need Russian gas, we need cheap energy – no matter where it comes from,” said Klaus Paur, managing director of Leuna-Harze, a petrochemical manufacturer located at Leuna Park.
French energy companies Engie and Total have also voiced support for resuming gas purchases from Russia.
”If there is a reasonable peace in Ukraine, we could go back to flows of 60 billion cubic meters (bcm), maybe 70, annually…” Didier Holleaux, executive vice-president at Engie, told Reuters.
The EU previously imported 150 bcm of pipeline gas from Russia each year, satisfying 40% of its total demand. Holleaux suggests that after the Ukraine conflict is resolved, Russia could potentially cover 20-25% of the EU’s needs.
”Europe will never go back to importing 150 bcm…but I would bet maybe 70 bcm,” Total CEO Patrick Pouyanne speculated.
Russia has consistently affirmed its reliability as an energy supplier. In January, the Kremlin stated that Moscow would resume gas deliveries to the EU if there were willing buyers.
Russian gas used to reach the EU through the Nord Stream undersea pipelines, which were damaged in a sabotage incident in 2022. However, one line of Nord Stream 2, a system built to complement Nord Stream but never operational, remains intact.
The EU continues to receive some Russian gas via the TurkStream pipeline, which passes through Turkey and the Balkans. The route via Ukraine was shut down after Kiev declined to extend a transit agreement in January and destroyed a gas metering station on the border.
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