“Agreed with the federal government”: Uniper and RWE are switching payments to Russia

“Coordinated with the federal government”
Uniper and RWE switch payments to Russia

May 31, 2022 at 9:28 p.m

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Russia has already turned off the gas supply to some companies. Uniper and RWE continue to receive supplies from Gazprom. According to their own statements, the groups have changed their payment method accordingly. However, it does not violate the sanctions of the West.

The energy companies Uniper and RWE have changed their payments for Russian natural gas so that they comply with the new requirements from Russia as well as the Western sanctions due to the war in Ukraine. Uniper announced that it would pay “in euros in accordance with the new payment mechanism”. The first payment was made at the end of May. In this way, Uniper is acting in compliance with the sanctions and can continue to guarantee timely fulfillment of the contract.

“The procedure was agreed in advance with the federal government and follows the relevant EU guidelines.” The company declined to comment on the details of the payments. Germany’s largest electricity supplier RWE also stated that it had changed its payment method to the new requirements. “We confirm that we have paid euros into the account,” the company said.

The group announced two weeks ago that it had opened a euro account in Russia for future payments. Against the background of the Ukraine war, Russia had demanded that countries classified as “unfriendly” such as Germany switch to ruble payments. The state gas giant Gazprom turned off the gas supply to Poland, Bulgaria and Finland, among others, after they rejected the request.

Gazprom also stopped deliveries to Dutch company Gasterra on Monday. Shell Energy Europe and the Danish utility Orsted followed this Tuesday. Shell Energy Europe is affected by the supply stop because of its contract for gas supplies to Germany, Gazprom announced. The delivery stop should apply from June 1st. The reason for this is that the companies did not pay in rubles as requested by Russia.

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