FRANKFURT, April 28 (Reuters) - Germany's RWE said on Friday it had no interest in operating infrastructure
for importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the long run,
responding to a report saying it wanted to pull out of a
controversial LNG project in the Baltic Sea.
The comments came in response to a report by magazine Der
Spiegel saying RWE had informed Germany's Economy Ministry of
its intention to withdraw from a planned LNG project that could
be located off the coast of Ruegen, a small German island.
Plans to locate a floating LNG import terminal there have
drawn opposition from local politicians and environmental
groups, fearing Ruegen's status as a tourist destination could
suffer.
"We are only involved in the project as a service provider
for the Federal Government," RWE said in e-mailed comments,
adding it would be of service if needed.
The company has already chartered two so called floating
storage and regasification units (FSRU) on behalf of the
government at the height of the European energy crisis,
triggered by Russia's move to stop gas supplies to Germany.
"We had already made it clear ... that we do not want to
operate LNG infrastructure on a permanent basis and that we
expect to hand over these activities to other players in the
foreseeable future," RWE said.
"Our position is therefore not new and of course also known
to the Federal Ministry of Economics."
A spokesperson for the Economy Ministry said discussions
between the government and the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
were ongoing, adding it was important that a firm decision on
the location was made soon.
(Reporting by Christoph Steitz, Andreas Rinke and Tom
Kaeckenhoff
Editing by Mark Potter)
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.