Economy minister says Nord Stream 2 and LNG will reduce energy dependence

The parallel construction of the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline and a sea terminal for liquefied natural gas (LNG) will reduce Germany’s dependence on individual countries for gas, economy and energy minister Peter Altmaier said in an interview with energy policy newsletter Tagesspiegel Background. “In the future, we want to depend neither on Russia nor on the United States,” Altmaier told Tagesspiegel. He added that German gas demand was likely to rise as the country phases out both nuclear and coal-fired power plants.

The controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline will link Germany and Russia via the Baltic Sea, running parallel to the existing Nord Stream 1 pipeline. Many EU countries, as well as the US, oppose the project on security grounds, arguing it would make Germany more dependent on Russia. In February, Altmaier agreed with US government representatives to explore possibilities for direct gas trade between the two countries, and said Germany could start building its first LNG terminal soon, a move that has been denounced by environmental groups.