Habeck rejects extending Germany's nuclear power plants
Economy minister Robert Habeck said extending the lifetime of Germany's nuclear power plants is the 'wrong decision' (Photo:?EPA)
euobserver: Habeck rejects extending Germany's nuclear power plants
German economy minister Robert Habeck said on Sunday he would not consider extending the lifetime of the country's last three remaining nuclear power plants, in order to save gas.
Speaking during a discussion with citizens at an open-door event in Berlin, Habeck said allowing the nuclear plants to run into next year will only save two-percent of gas used in Germany...
But he dispelled the prospect of a winter gas shortage, saying Norway and the Netherlands are already providing additional gas.
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WSJ: Europe’s Natural-Gas Crunch Sparks Global Battle for Tankers
Charter rates and prices for new LNG tankers surge as Europe looks for alternatives to throttled Russian gas supplies
LNG tankers are in high demand. PHOTO:?OLIVIER HOSLET/SHUTTERSTOCK
Europe’s energy crisis has unleashed a global battle over natural-gas tankers, leading to a shortage of ships and further boosting the fuel’s record prices.
European countries?ramped up their purchases?of liquefied natural gas from the U.S., Qatar and other sources this year as?Russia cut supplies?to the continent. They are competing with peers in South Korea and Japan—where gas demand has surged during a heat wave—for a finite amount of supply ferried by a limited number of vessels.
The jostling has increased orders for new tankers transporting LNG—specialized ships the length of three football fields—as well as their price. Rates to charter existing tankers have jumped too, which has helped push gas prices to records in Europe and Asia.
Gas prices in Europe jumped a further 19% Monday after Russia said it would?temporarily close a major pipeline?for unexpected maintenance later this month.?The rise in Europe dragged the U.S. natural-gas market up 5.6% to its highest level since 2008. Traders expect gas prices and tanker rates to zoom even higher if China, where demand has been curtailed by?Covid-19 lockdowns, steps back into the market before winter.?
The race to secure tankers is another sign of the reshuffling of the global energy map following?Russia’s invasion?of Ukraine. The war has intensified competition for tight energy supplies, reoriented commodity flows and fractured parts of the global oil-and-gas market, with supporters and opponents of Russia paying different prices.
LNG and the tankers that carry the fuel were in high demand even before the conflict, as extreme weather curtailed hydropower and many economies sought to ditch coal to reduce carbon emissions. The war has turbocharged that trend.
Before the war, Russia covered 40% of the European Union’s gas supplies, mostly via a network of pipelines. Given that it will take time to upgrade the continent’s pipeline network to receive imports from other nearby exporters, the main short-term alternative is LNG, which can be bought from producers further away and shipped, albeit at a higher price.
In the production of LNG, gas is chilled to minus 260 degrees Fahrenheit and shrunk to a liquid that can be stored and shipped to terminals. There it is returned to a gas state and used to power factories and heat homes.
Just one LNG tanker is available to be chartered for a single voyage in Asia two months or more from now, said Jason Feer, head of business intelligence at Poten & Partners, a shipbroker. None is available in the Atlantic Ocean.
“Everything out there is going to be snapped up,” said Toby Copson, head of trading and advisory at Shanghai-based Trident LNG. “Effectively you’ve got Europe and Asia bidding against each other and propping the market up.”
The scramble for ships adds another challenge for Europe, where governments are?racing to fill storage facilities?ahead of the heating season and companies are buckling under high gas prices. Russia has capped deliveries to Germany via the key Nord Stream pipeline at 20% of its capacity, blaming Western sanctions. German and European officials have called the throttling an economic attack.
Amid the gas rush, daily charter rates for existing tankers that traders will take hold of between?mid-September and mid-November have risen to $105,250 a day, up from about $64,000 now and about $47,000 a year ago for vessels heading from the U.S. to Europe, according to Spark Commodities.
Rates were above $100,000 a day in June, before dropping when a fire at an LNG export facility in the U.S. reduced exports and demand for boats. Analysts and traders expect them to rebound because trading companies have booked many more boats on a long-term basis to make sure they can ferry LNG, in turn reducing the pool of vessels immediately available.
To avoid getting caught out in the future, traders are going on a buying spree for ships. Customers have shelled out $24.1 billion on orders for new LNG tankers—including orders for eight vessels in August—so far in 2022, according to Stephen Gordon, managing director at London-based shipping firm Clarkson. They have already blown past the full-year record of $15.6 billion from 2021.?
Currently, 257 vessels are on the order book globally, according to consulting firm Rystad Energy. Shipmakers in South Korea, the world’s biggest producer of LNG tankers, don’t have free capacity for new orders until 2027, Rystad estimates.
Among the biggest buyers of LNG tankers is Qatar, one of the world’s largest LNG exporters. This tiny Persian Gulf kingdom has emerged as one of Europe’s best hopes to wean itself off Russian gas, and European countries have been in talks with it about long-term LNG contracts.
Demand for tankers has raised the price of the new vessels. Surging steel prices and limited shipyard capacity are also contributing to the tanker inflation, with newbuild prices approaching $240 million a ship from $190 million a year ago, according to Rystad.?
Higher tanker prices and rising rates for chartering ships are feeding into the LNG value chain and boosting already high gas prices worldwide, said Kaushal Ramesh, an analyst at the consulting firm. “The recent focus on energy security means the entire market has gone back to taking a long-term view on supply and shipping,” he said.?
Demand has also risen for so-called floating storage and re-gasification units, which are often converted LNG tankers moored at the coast. Setting up these facilities, known as FSRUs, is faster than building a dedicated LNG terminal, which usually takes years.?
Across Europe, 14 FSRUs are currently planned. FSRU charter rates have risen to $200,000 a day in some cases, more than double the rate in early 2021, according to Rystad.?
Germany, which had for years been dependent on cheap Russian piped gas, doesn’t have a single LNG terminal. Now, Berlin is planning to have two such FSRUs ready by the end of the year, with several others following next year.?
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U.S. Energy Information Administration: OPEC REVENUES FACT SHEET
OPEC net oil export revenues
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Rethinking the New Silk Road: should we still go to Duisburg? Avoiding Germany?
For many years, Duisburg has been the main European hub on the New Silk Road. But it is time to rethink the western part of the Eurasian corridor, say industry experts, as the German network is not at its full capacity this decade. It is time for a redesign of the New Silk Road.
This was a conclusion shared by webinar participants last Friday. In the webinar?Poland, a New Reality, the role of Poland on the New Silk Road was at the heart of the discussion, and it was this same Poland that was suggested as a suitable consolidation place for further distribution of cargo to western Europe.
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Congested network
Poland has always been an important transit country on the New Silk Road. The main route runs through Belarus to Poland, before it continues to many destinations in Europe. In that sense, speaking of Poland as a consolidation hub is not revolutionary.
However, the problem lies on the western border, the border with Germany. The border crossing at Frankfurt Oder/Rzepin was always congested, but the German network is currently experiencing severe disruptions due to an intensive modernisation drive. Construction works, and the consequent diversions and restrictions are likely to affect the railways for the next ten years.
Avoiding Germany
“Making Poland as the hub on the New Silk Road could be the key to success for the future, because there are already many railway lines available and not fully used”, said David Aloia, director of Silk Road at Hupac. “Instead of Duisburg, which is right now very congested, trains could connect to many other places. This is the right moment for that”, he added.
“Should you still go to Duisburg? This is a very relevant question indeed”, said Onno de Jong, transport consultant at Ecorys. Whereas we tend to look at the ‘blue banana’ as the area with the most economic activity, this is also the region near the Rhine. With the low-water levels and talk of a massive shift to rail for energy supplies, this is where you do not want to be with your train right now, he argued.
Where to if not Duisburg?
Where do we want to be? There are many routes that lead to Europe, Duisburg is certainly not the only one. Over the years, there have been plenty of cities claiming to be well suited to a consolidating hub in western Europe. For example Bettembourg in Luxembourg, or Vienna in Austria. It depends on your destination which of these places is best.
Also in the east of Europe, Poland is not the only possible consolidation country. There is Hungary, Slovakia, Chech Republic and if all turns back to normal, there is Ukraine as a gateway to all these countries. Poland is however many steps ahead in this sense, as it has invested in its role on the New Silk Road from the start.
Polish hubs
According to the Polish office of Rail Transport UTK, the key locations for Eurasian traffic are ?ód? (Olechów), G?dki, Poznań, Swarz?dz and Stara Wie? (near Kutno). For intermodal connections from countries across Poland’s eastern border, the most important stations are those in ?ód?, Stara Wie? (near Kutno), Poznań and Warsaw, it said.
Aloia points out the potential of Brwinów near Warsaw, where Hupac will inaugurate its new terminal this September, a terminal designed to facilitate east-west traffic. This is the first of Hupac in Poland, but the company revealed its plans to construct this facility ten years ago, ahead of the New Silk Road boom.
“What is interesting about Poland, is that it was developing as a logistics hub before the New Silk Road came about”, said de Jong. The New Silk Road provided a major boost to the country, as Eurasian volumes have grown tremendously in the past ten years. But even if it would face massive problems, Poland as a logistics hub makes perfect sense.”
RailFreight Summit
Would you like to join the discussion about Poland and its role as a rail freight hub? On 7 & 8 September, the industry gathers in Warsaw for the 5th edition of the?RailFreight Summit. You can register for this event?here.
Do you want to watch the webinar? This is possible?here.
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Lieferkettensorgfaltspflichtengesetz - Bundesamt für Wirtschaft und Ausfuhrkontrolle
Risikoanalyse
Auf dieser Seite finden Sie Informationen zur Durchführung einer Risikoanalyse im Sinne des Lieferkettensorgfaltspflichtengesetzes (LkSG).
Warum sind Risikoanalysen durchzuführen?
Die Risikoanalyse ist die Grundlage eines angemessenen und wirksamen Risikomanagements. Unternehmen sind verpflichtet, in ihren Lieferketten menschenrechtliche und umweltbezogene Sorgfaltspflichten in angemessener Weise zu beachten. Ziel ist es, menschenrechtlichen oder umweltbezogenen Risiken vorzubeugen, sie zu minimieren oder die Verletzung menschrechtsbezogener oder umweltbezogener Pflichten zu beenden. Dazu muss das betreffende Unternehmen die menschenrechtlichen und umweltbezogenen Risiken ermitteln, gewichten und gegebenenfalls priorisieren.
Wann müssen Risikoanalysen durchgeführt werden?
Im Rahmen eines angemessenen und wirksamen Risikomanagements unterscheidet das?LkSG?zwei Arten von Risikoanalysen: Die regelm??ige Risikoanalyse und die anlassbezogene Risikoanalyse.
Die regelm??ige Risikoanalyse muss einmal j?hrlich durchgeführt werden.
Ausl?ser einer anlassbezogenen Risikoanalyse kann zum einen die substantiierte Kenntnis einer m?glichen Verletzung einer menschenrechtlichen oder umweltbezogenen Pflicht bei einem oder mehreren mittelbaren Zulieferern sein. Zum anderen muss ein Unternehmen auch dann eine anlassbezogene Risikoanalyse durchführen, wenn es durch eine Ver?nderung der Gesch?ftst?tigkeit mit einer konkreten wesentlichen Ver?nderung von Risiken oder dem Hinzukommen von neuen Risiken in der gesamten Lieferkette rechnen muss.
Als Hilfe zur Umsetzung bieten wir Ihnen eine?Handreichung zur Umsetzung von Risikoanalysen nach den Vorgaben des Lieferkettensorgfaltspflichtengesetzes?(PDF, 5MB, Datei ist barrierefrei?barrierearm)?an. Weitere Klarstellungen zur Einrichtung eines Risikomanagements sowie zur Umsetzung der Risikoanalyse im Sinne des?LkSG?in Kapitel VII und VIII der?h?ufig gestellte Fragen.
N?heres zum Anwendungsbereich des Gesetzes
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BMWi-Minister Habeck auf dem Weg, eine Begründung für sich und die Grünen zu finden, um eine peinliche Situation zu überwinden. Denn:
-> "Schleswig-Holsteins Umweltminister Robert Habeck von den Grünen h?lt es für ?politisch falsch“, das Ceta-Handelsabkommen der EU mit Kanada unter Auflagen (vorl?ufig) anzuwenden."
Nun aber: " Der Bundesverband der Energie- und Wasserwirtschaft (BDEW) betonte, der Aufbau einer?Wasserstoffwirtschaft?sei nicht allein auf nationaler Ebene m?glich. Deutschland und Europa seien daher auf den Import von Wasserstoff angewiesen sein. Kerstin Andreae, die Vorsitzende der BDEW-Hauptgesch?ftsführung sagte der "Rheinischen Post":
Umso wichtiger ist es, frühzeitig verl?ssliche internationale Partnerschaften zu schlie?en.
Kerstin Andreae, Vorsitzende der BDEW-Hauptgesch?ftsführung
"Neben einer m?glichen künftigen Zusammenarbeit beim Wasserstoff sei Kanada aber schon heute ein verl?sslicher Lieferant von Rohstoffen für die?Energiewende, erkl?rte Andreae. Dies gelte etwa für Edelmetalle, Titan, Nickel, Kobalt, Graphit und Aluminium. Hier gebe es gro?es "Potenzial für weitere Steigerungen", betonte sie."
Kerstin Andreae?(*?21. Oktober?1968?in?Schramberg) ist eine ehemalige?deutsche?Politikerin?(Bündnis 90/Die Grünen) und derzeit?Lobbyistin. Sie war von 2002 bis 2019?Mitglied des Deutschen Bundestages?und von Ende Februar 2012 bis Januar 2018 eine der fünf stellvertretenden Vorsitzenden der?Bundestagsfraktion der Grünen.[1][2]?Seit dem 1. November 2019 ist sie Vorsitzende der Hauptgesch?ftsführung des?Bundesverbands der Energie- und Wasserwirtschaft.
Denn Ziel: "Anl?sslich der Kanada-Reise von Bundeskanzler?Olaf Scholz?(SPD) und Bundeswirtschaftsminister?Robert Habeck?(Grüne) dr?ngt die deutsche Wirtschaft zu schnellen Abkommen mit dem nordamerikanischen Land.
Der Bundesverband Gro?handel, Au?enhandel, Dienstleistungen (BGA) hoffe darauf, dass der Besuch in Kanada noch einmal den Druck auf die?Regierungskoalition?in Deutschland erh?he, das deutsch-kanadische?Handelsabkommen CETA?im Bundestag endlich zu ratifizieren, sagte Verbandspr?sident Dirk Jandura der Düsseldorfer "Rheinischen Post".
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