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German minister races to find alternatives to Russian gas

German Economy Minister Robert Habeck is set to travel to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates this weekend as he races to find alternatives to Russian gas supplies in the wake of the war in Ukraine.

Published: 18 March 2022 23:12 CET

Nordstream

Part of the Nordstream pipeline in Greifswald, Mecklenburg Western-Pomerania. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Stefan Sauer

Qatar is one of the world’s largest exporters of liquefied natural gas (LNG), which could play a crucial role in reducing Europe’s reliance on Russian energy.

Few countries are as dependent on Russian energy imports as Europe’s top economy Germany, which imported around 55 percent of its natural gas from Russia before Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

“On the one hand, we need more liquefied natural gas, temporarily and in the short term, and we want this to arrive at our own German terminals,” Habeck said in a statement before his departure.

“On the other hand, we must now speed up the transition from conventional natural gas to green hydrogen,” he added.

Qatar and the UAE are of “central importance” in achieving those goals, Habeck added.

READ ALSO: ‘Whatever it takes’: Calls grow for painful German blockade of Russian gas

The Green party economy minster, who also hold the energy and climate portfolios, will travel to Qatar on Saturday where he will meet with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, before visiting the UAE on Sunday for talks with several ministers.

Habeck already visited key gas exporter Norway and LNG supplier the United States earlier this month.

“I am convinced that the outcome of the discussions we’re having with Norway, the US, Canada, Qatar will lead us to…. more liquefied gas coming to Europe and Germany,” Habeck told broadcaster ARD.

Germany and Norway have also agreed to study the possibility of building a hydrogen pipeline between their countries.

Berlin has come under fire for opposing a Russian oil and gas boycott as part of sanctions against Moscow, fearing it could cripple the German economy and send sky-high energy prices soaring further.

Nevertheless Germany aims to end most Russian oil imports by the end of the year, but weaning itself off Russian gas will take longer.

READ ALSO: How will the Russian invasion affect Germany’s gas supplies and prices?

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How installing solar panels at home is set to become easier in Germany

With rising prices affecting almost every area of life, many people are looking for ways to cut costs wherever they can.

When it comes to electricity, this could include looking at renewable options like installing solar panels on your balcony.

According to data from the Federal Network Agency’s Market Data Register, this is an increasingly popular choice. As of April 2nd this year, there were around 400,000 balcony solar units in operation in Germany, compared to just 230,000 in the summer of last year.

These little photovoltaic systems can be a great way to become more self-sufficient by producing your own energy for the home – but despite the benefits, you may have been put off by fears of mountains of paperwork and an uncertainty around the rules.

READ ALSO: How to install a solar panel on your balcony in Germany (even if you rent)

The government’s new Solar Energy Package, passed on Friday, aims to solve this issue by making it simpler for people in apartments or single-family homes to install solar panels and use their own energy.

It’s part of a major drive to roll out renewable energy in Germany, pushing up photovoltaic capacity from 7.5 gigawatts in 2022 to 22 gigawatts in 2026 and ultimately 215 gigawatts by 2030.

But what exactly is changing for homeowners and renters? Here’s what we know so far.

Streamlined registration process

Rather than having to register with your local network operator when installing solar panels on your balcony, in future simply registering with the Federal Network Agency’s Market Data Register will suffice. This streamlined process has been in place since April 1st, 2024.

Increased capacity allowance

Solar devices installed in the home are allowed to be more powerful in future. If your future device has an installed output of up to 2 kilowatts and an inverter output of up to 800 volt-amperes in total, you can register it quickly in a simple and unbureaucratic registration process.

Previously, devices were only allowed an inverter output of up to 600 volt-amperes.

No barriers on meters

In a transitional measure designed to encourage more people to switch to solar energy, balcony installations can be run through any type of meter on the market.

Solar panels on a German balcony

Solar panels on a balcony in Germany. The government is making it easier for people to produce – and use – their own solar energy. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/iStock.comMaryanaSerdynska | Maryana Serdynska

This includes meters without a backstop, which run backwards when more energy is produced than is used. These, alongside normal one-way meters with a backdrop, will be permitted for a limited time until modern digital meters can be installed.

Under previous rules, both older types of meter were prohibited.

Simpler energy storage

In future, balcony solar systems will be able to store energy with a conventional shockproof plug. This will make installation way easier than it was before.

READ ALSO: German government to subsidise up to €30,000 of heating revamp costs

Easier operation of multi-unit buildings

To enable tenants in apartment blocks to use cheaper solar power from roofs, garages or battery storage systems directly, the new instrument of “communal building supply” is being introduced. This eliminates the complicated requirement to feed energy into the general electricity grid and permits residents to use the energy generated themselves.

In future, tenants will also be able to take out an affordable supplementary tariff themselves for electricity that is not covered by their solar installation. Some rules on this still need to be clarified though, so watch this space.

Tenant subsidies in commercial buildings

In future, tenant electricity will also be subsidised for commercial buildings and ancillary facilities such as garages if the electricity generated there is consumed immediately, i.e. without being fed through the grid.

This allows several energy systems to be combined and should avoid the overwhelming technical barriers that were previously a problem in residential neighbourhoods.

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