Jakarta, INTI - Austria is aiming to accelerate the expansion of renewable energy and boost gas imports from Africa in order to avoid excessive reliance on U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG), as Europe restructures its energy supply landscape, the country’s junior energy minister told Reuters on Wednesday.
European nations are grappling with how to maintain affordable electricity prices as the European Union moves to phase out Russian gas by 2027 in response to Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Many governments are wary of replacing one form of dependency with another under U.S. President Donald Trump.
“The U.S. is not predictable in these times, so for Austria we are really looking closely to ensure we have LNG from different sources,” said Elisabeth Zehetner, Austria's state secretary for energy.
Zehetner is among ministers from 38 OECD countries meeting in Paris to discuss energy security at an International Energy Agency gathering.
Living with Dependencies
“Since the beginning of last year, we do not import any Russian gas, but we face now the same topic with LNG. And if more than 40% of Europe's LNG imports are coming only from the U.S., we have to ask ourselves if we have not exchanged one dependency for another,” she added.
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Tuesday criticized the International Energy Agency’s emphasis on renewables and climate policy, encouraging Europe to purchase more U.S. LNG at what he described as competitive prices.
However, Zehetner noted that most ministers at Wednesday’s session reaffirmed their commitment to expanding renewable energy, citing its domestic nature and lower production costs, while acknowledging that natural gas remains crucial for supply stability.
“Domestic generation is more reliable than any kind of imports ... but we know we will still be dependent on gas for many decades to come. The question is how we live with these dependencies,” Zehetner said.
Austria plans to increase gas imports from Africa through the Transmed pipeline, which connects to Italy, as well as from Romania’s Neptun Deep gas field in the Black Sea, developed by Austrian energy company OMV, which is expected to begin production next year. Austria already sources gas from Norway, the United States, and Qatar.
When asked about the possibility of resuming Russian gas imports, Zehetner said Austria would prefer purchasing renewable energy from Ukraine. She added that, in the event of a peace agreement acceptable to Kyiv, limited Russian gas imports could potentially be reconsidered.
“Concerning the role of Russia ... we have learned our lesson, so we do not want to be dependent on anyone,” she said.
Later on Wednesday, a spokesperson for the state secretary clarified that Austria is not seeking a return to Russian gas supplies and remains aligned with EU regulations to phase out Russian imports.
“In a hypothetical post-war scenario, contingent on a peace agreement accepted by Kyiv, Europe might reassess the overall geopolitical and energy framework,” the spokesperson said.
Conclusion
Austria’s strategy reflects Europe’s broader effort to rebalance its energy mix amid geopolitical uncertainty. By expanding renewables while diversifying gas imports from Africa and other sources, Vienna aims to avoid overreliance on any single supplier. While natural gas will remain part of the energy system for decades, the long-term priority is greater energy security, domestic generation, and reduced vulnerability to external political risks.
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