Norway is reporting that it is delivering the highest feasible volumes of natural gas to Germany, a claim made during a joint press briefing with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The message came from the Norwegian prime minister in the presence of the German leader. The remarks suggest that Norway has already reached its limit for gas shipments to Germany, signaling a steady state in current export levels.
Earlier discussions had pointed to plans to raise deliveries to the European Union by greening and modernizing offshore hydrocarbon platforms. This approach is intended to unlock greater energy supply while keeping pace with environmental considerations.
Industry assessments indicate that the expansion could bring an annual increase in European gas imports on the order of roughly 31 terawatt-hours. That figure would represent about a quarter of Norway’s domestic energy consumption and around 2.5 percent of total EU gas supplies. In tandem with higher exports, emissions reductions are projected, with carbon dioxide output falling by approximately 9 percent under the envisaged program.
The project is expected to involve substantial investment, with an estimated cost of 50 billion kroner. About 40 billion kroner would be funded by the state, while Equinor and other industry participants would contribute the remaining share, highlighting a mix of public and private financing in the national energy strategy.
Meanwhile, energy transmission operators reported mid-July that gas flows from Norway to European markets had fully resumed following the earlier disruption at the Sleipner field. The recovery underscores the resilience of European gas supply chains and Norway’s ongoing role as a key regional supplier [Attribution: Norwegian energy authorities].