German government taking all measures to avert energy crisis: Chancellor Scholz

BERLIN (AA) – The German government is taking all necessary measures to guarantee the country’s energy security, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Friday.

Speaking at a joint news conference in Berlin with Mongolia’s Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene, Scholz said German gas storage facilities are now over 95% full.

He underlined that the government will continue to take steps to purchase gas from other countries and end Germany’s dependence on Russia.

“We have decided to increase import options via Western European ports, from the Netherlands and Belgium, and now imports from France have also started,” Scholz said.

He underlined that work is underway to build liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals at the northern German ports of Brunsbuttel, Wilhelmshaven, Stade, and Lubmin, which will help the country diversify its natural gas supply sources.

- Nuclear extension plans

Scholz said the government is planning to keep the country’s last nuclear plants running during the winter months, adding that he is confident that coalition parties will reach a decision by next week.

The coalition led by Scholz’s Social Democrats has been unable to finalize the plan so far due to differences between the environmentalist Greens and the liberal Free Democrats (FDP).

The FDP wants the country’s last three nuclear plants to continue operating until 2024, but the Greens are only backing the extension of two nuclear plants until mid-April and also opposing any purchase of new fuel rods.

Germany decided to stop using nuclear energy in 2011, following the Fukushima disaster in Japan, and its last nuclear power plants were scheduled to be shut down by the end of this year.

A final decision on the nuclear extension plan has to be taken by the parliament.