Uniper nationalization imminent

Berlin The gas importer Uniper is on the verge of complete nationalization. The German government is expected to make the corresponding decision at the next cabinet meeting, the Handelsblatt learned on Tuesday from negotiating circles. A preliminary agreement had been reached between the federal government, Uniper and the Finnish Uniper main shareholder Fortum, it said.

A financial injection from the federal government of eight billion euros is under discussion. At the same time, the question is being discussed in the federal government as to whether the gas surcharge should still apply in the event of a complete takeover of Uniper by the federal government.

Gas suppliers like Uniper are in trouble because Russia is practically no longer pumping gas to Germany, but Uniper has to fulfill its long-term contracts and buys the missing gas expensively on the market.