Austria's gas supply: Farewell to Russian natural gas and new ways

Austria's gas supply: Farewell to Russian natural gas and new ways

On the evening of November 15, 2023, a significant decision in relation to the energy supply of Austria, as Gazprom, the Russian state company, made its gas deliveries to the OMV completely. This development marks the end of a cooperation between Austria and Russia that lasted over 56 years, which began with gas import. From 6 a.m. this Friday no more gas was delivered, which is of great importance both politically and economically.

Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) commented in a first explanation of these events and emphasized that "nobody in Austria would freeze due to a lack of gas". The city of Vienna had prepared for such scenarios at an early stage and announced that the delivery of the customers of Vienna was secured by energy. This means that the population continues to have access to heat and electricity, even if the Russian deliveries have been set.

preparations for the delivery stop

The Wiener Stadtwerke and Vienna Energie had already decided in September to get out of Russian gas entirely from January 2025. This pre -planning is now evident as a wise decision in view of the fragile situation of the energy markets and the unreliability of Russia as a supplier. "Nobody will have to pay for Russian gas anymore," said a spokesman for the city because the corresponding contracts have already been updated.

Urban representatives, such as Peter Hanke (SPÖ), who is responsible for the municipal utility, emphasized the importance of watching the further developments in the energy market. Although the gas supply is currently considered secure, the focus remains on how the situation will develop in the coming weeks and months. Hanke explained that the city had "switched to other energy sources" and had already secured deliveries from regions such as North Africa and Norway.

The energy control, which is responsible for regulating the electricity and natural gas industry, also confirmed the secure gas supply in Austria. According to the data of the transparency platform, the gas rivers are currently stable, which is a certain calming in this challenging time.