OMV: Gas a Key Future Source of Energy
European Union should make clear whether it supported the search for and production of gas.
The head of OMV AG, Austria’s leading oil and gas company, has appealed to political leaders to take a stand for gas as a key future source of energy, saying that too little attention is paid in Europe to "cleanest among all fossil energy sources.”
In an interview with Kurier newspaper, Gerhard Roiss said that gas was a key part of the energy mix and an important, complementary source in enabling renewables.
Stating “we must not pit the different energy carriers against each other", Roiss provided an analogy of combining "a bunch of flowers to bloom and bring together,” and that differents parts of the energy mix, including gas and renewables, must work to gether in providing for energy demand and energy security.
He continued that the European Union should make clear whether it supported the search for and production of gas., which he sees as largest primary energy source of the future.
Roiss said that natural gas development has to be viewed in the context of competitiveness and job creation, environmental protection and the issue of security of supply. He pointed to the interconnectivity of the issues and how OMV has to respond when earlier this year Russian gas supplies to Austria were reduced by 30 percent in the midst of winter.
The OMV chief appealed to the EU to make ‘a clear statement’ whether it backed shale gas search initiatives in Europe.
Roiss pointed to the US shale gas revolution and expressed concerns that European competitiveness might be impacted in future.
"The United States started developing the potential of shale gas resources 10 years ago. The price for gas has halved compared to Europe to this day. These developments will of course affect European industry," Roiss said.
Addressing a question on OMVs own efforts to investigate shale gas in Lower Austria, Roiss acknowledged environmental concerns, but also pointed to the “economic issue”.
“Here, Europe has to take a position that has not happened to date. If Europe says it is important to have your own gas, then you must also approach the issue of shale gas. This needs to be discussed at European level”