Gas crisis: money is getting tight again – Uniper needs more billions

Created: 08/30/2022, 05:35

By: Patricia Huber

The gas surcharge causes a dispute in the traffic light.

In view of the surging criticism, Economics Minister Robert Habeck wants to improve the regulation.

All information about the gas crisis in the news ticker.

• Uniper is applying for

  more

  billions in aid

  : The energy company has applied for an increase in the KfW loan by four billion euros.

• Junge Union calls for

  "youth energy money"

  : This is intended to relieve students and trainees.

• The FDP warns

  that the

  energy crisis

  will " get

  worse

  " : The gas surcharge should not lead to extra returns for companies.

• This news ticker on the gas crisis is constantly updated.

Update from August 29, 3:27 p.m .:

Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) wants to stick to the controversial surcharge for gas customers.

From the Chancellor's point of view, this instrument for securing the gas supply in Germany is "out of the question," said Deputy Government Spokeswoman Christiane Hoffmann on Monday.

The surcharge is “the right instrument” to stabilize systemically important gas suppliers.

It is now only a matter of finding legally secure clarifications so that companies that do not need help do not also benefit from the levy.

Gas crisis: Uniper is applying for additional billions in aid

Update from August 29, 1:35 p.m .:

The liquidity needs of the energy company Uniper are increasing in view of high gas prices and increasing delivery restrictions.

For further stabilization, the group has applied for an increase in the KfW credit facility by four billion euros, Uniper announced on Monday afternoon in Düsseldorf.

With the two billion euros received on Monday, the existing credit line of nine billion euros from the state-owned KfW bank has been fully exhausted.

Now the company needs more capital.

Uniper applied for state aid in July and was promised it two weeks later.

The KfW credit line is part of the rescue package.

Due to the throttling of Russian deliveries via the Nord Stream 1 Baltic Sea pipeline, the Düsseldorf-based group has to buy gas more expensively on the market in order to fulfill contracts.

This leads to liquidity problems.

Junge Union calls for “youth energy money”

Update from August 29, 10:32 a.m .:

In the debate about further relief in view of the high energy prices, the Junge Union (JU) calls for a “youth energy money” of 500 euros.

"Much more support is needed for students and trainees who only have a very low income," said JU chairman Tilman Kuban in the Düsseldorf

.

With the government's energy flat rate, for example, the students were simply forgotten.

“This is anti-boy politics.

Especially when you live in your own apartment or in a shared apartment for the first time, the price development is fatal,” criticized Kuban.

The youth energy money for this year should therefore be "500 euros for students and trainees, regardless of the type of training," he demanded.

"That would help because it's a targeted measure."

FDP warns of "worsening improvement" of the energy crisis

Update from August 29, 9.45 a.m .:

Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck has promised a change in the planned gas surcharge.

The correction is intended to prevent companies that do not need it from an economic point of view from benefiting from this levy on private households and industry.

"That's why you have to work hard on the problem now.

And we do that too," said the Greens politician on Sunday evening in the

.

"We will solve this problem." The FDP calls for corrections until the government meeting this Tuesday.

FDP parliamentary group leader Christian Dürr demanded that technical errors should be eliminated before the cabinet meeting.

"We have to be careful that state intervention does not make the energy crisis worse," he

.

The gas levy should under no circumstances lead to extra returns for companies.

SPD leader Klingbeil is pushing for improvements to the gas surcharge

First report from August 29, 9:22 a.m.:

Berlin – SPD party leader Lars Klingbeil is pushing for corrections to the controversial gas levy.

There are undesirable developments, he said on Monday in the ARD morning magazine.

The gas surcharge was justified to avert insolvencies in the energy supply, and that was correct.

"But now we see that companies that make billions in profits are applying for this gas levy."

That was "indecent free riding", criticized Klingbeil.

It's not possible to make billions in profits and then want to get billions in tax money on top of that,

Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) is now examining whether this can be changed politically, otherwise the ordinance would have to be reworked, said Klingbeil.

"If the will is there, you will be able to correct this undesirable development."

SPD leader Lars Klingbeil is pushing for corrections to the gas surcharge.

© Fabian Sommer/dpa

Gas surcharge: This is how it should save energy companies

The levy from Habeck's ministry is intended to compensate for the sharp rise in costs for large gas importers due to Russian supply cuts in order to protect them from bankruptcy and the energy system from collapsing.

All gas customers should pay an additional 2.4 cents per kilowatt hour from October.

It is criticized that companies that are doing well economically could also benefit.

That is why the federal government is now examining corrections, which is legally complicated.

Habeck has promised a change in the planned gas surcharge.