Is fracking the answer to the energy crisis? The FDP leadership is urging the ban to be reconsidered. Ultimately, the "principle of economic reason" demands an ideology-free energy policy. Chancellor Scholz disagrees, and thus clears the discussion from the table for the time being.
In the dispute over the use of domestic gas reserves, Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke out against the FDP's proposal to reconsider the previous ban on fracking in Germany. "Previous federal governments have examined these projects. The local resistance was so great that they were never implemented," said the SPD politician of the "Welt am Sonntag". Fracking is also not necessary in Germany.
In view of the energy crisis, the FDP wants to put the ban on natural gas production in Germany through so-called fracking to the test. Fracking uses pressure and chemicals to extract gas or oil from rock layers, which poses environmental hazards. Criticism is also leveled at the liquefaction through strong cooling because, according to environmentalists, this costs up to 25 percent of the energy content of the gas.
Scholz emphasized that "natural gas is not our future". Germany will be climate neutral by 2045. "That means our industry will then be based on the use of hydrogen and electricity from renewable energies. We are creating the necessary infrastructure for this. And all of this is running parallel to the acute crisis management."
Federal Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann from the FDP sees it differently. Because of the cessation of gas deliveries from Russia, Germany is currently having to buy expensive gas on the world market, he told the "Welt am Sonntag". "But then it is an imperative of economic reason to also ask the question whether it is possible to use one's own shale gas with the responsible technology. If that is possible, one should do it."
FDP leader and Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner had previously spoken out in favor of "an ideology-free energy policy". This also includes looking at domestic oil and gas deposits in the North Sea and gas deposits that exist on land. "The so-called fracking. It's responsible, it's very deep, there are no earthquakes, the drinking water is not endangered. So you can tackle it, you also make a contribution," said Lindner recently.
