Munich (dpa/lby) – To ensure the domestic gas supply, the FDP in the Bavarian state parliament is calling for more gas production in Bavaria and Germany. “In addition to the import of foreign, partly fracked LNG gas, domestic gas must also be promoted more. Even in Bavaria there are still large natural gas deposits,” says a decision paper by the parliamentary group, which parliamentary group leader Martin Hagen announced on Tuesday at the start of the autumn meeting of the members of the state parliament in Regensburg. The paper is available from the German Press Agency in Munich.
The FDP accuses the Bavarian state government of a lack of political will when it comes to gas production in the Free State: “In Holzkirchen near Munich, for example, you could produce around 650 million cubic meters of natural gas using conventional production. Enough to supply the state capital for a year. However, the state government lacks the Courage to support companies willing to provide funding politically and also locally in the communities,” it continues. Every cubic meter of domestically produced gas would be a relief from the import dependency and a blessing for the Bavarian economy.
In addition, the FDP parliamentary group is in favor of examining the possibilities of fracking at federal and state level. In the controversial production process, gas stored in layers of rock is released by a chemical process and then pumped to the surface via pipes. The procedure, which is often used in the USA, for example, is controversial because of the health damage to people in the area.
In the paper, however, the FDP calls for “greater political support for gas production in the Free State. The state government and the Ministry of Economics must positively accompany domestic gas production together with the municipalities.” This expressly includes examining the possibility of gas production using fracking – this includes risk assessment, environmental impact assessment, potential and efficiency analyzes as well as specific implementation periods for the use of the fracking method.
