Austria seeks to expand renewable energy and increase gas imports from Africa, avoiding dependence on LNG from the USA.

Austria is proposing to diversify its energy sources, expanding the use of renewable energy and increasing gas imports from Africa, in order to reduce dependence on liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the United States.

The Austrian Secretary for Energy, Elisabeth Zehetner, emphasized the importance of diversification, mentioning that Austria will begin to import gas from the Neptun Deep field in the Black Sea, developed by OMV, and through the Transmed pipeline from Africa. In the context of the European Union's phase-out of Russian gas by 2027, Austria faces the challenge of not replacing one dependency with another, considering that over 40% of Europe's LNG imports come from the USA. Zehetner stated that, although natural gas remains essential, Austria will continue to invest in renewable energy, which is considered more reliable and cost-effective.