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Austria with EU’s support to abandon Russian gas by 2027, says minister

Three steps should be made for reaching the goal, including reducing gas consumption and developing renewable sources of energy, producing gas independently using the example of biomethane or hydrogen, and finding new suppliers in Norway or Qatar

VIENNA, April 27. /TASS/. Austria will be able together with other EU countries to abandon Russian natural gas by 2027, Austrian Federal Minister for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology Leonore Gewessler told a press conference on Wednesday.

The country’s energy agency at the request of the energy ministry has analyzed the possibilities of getting rid of the dependence on Russian gas, she said. "The results show that it is possible, though efforts at a national level will be required. This will take time," Gewessler said, adding that "this goal of the European Commission might be reached in 2027."

Three steps should be made for reaching the goal, including reducing gas consumption and developing renewable sources of energy, producing gas independently using the example of biomethane or hydrogen, and finding new suppliers in Norway or Qatar, she explained.

"It is necessary to realize that even in 2030 we will not be able to live without natural gas overall," the minister admitted.

Austria stopped importing and refining Russian oil over Moscow’s special military operation in Ukraine in March, a source in the oil and gas company OMV told TASS earlier. The republic’s dependence on Russian gas remains high, reaching 80% of gas imports.

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