German Finance Minister: EU Kerosene Shortage Fears Are Founded

BERLIN, April 18 (Bernama-dpa) -- German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil has called for steps to address an emerging European kerosene shortage, while urging the coalition government to accelerate the shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy against the backdrop of the Iran war.

"We must take the warnings of a kerosene shortage very seriously," said Klingbeil, who is also vice chancellor, in comments to Der Spiegel magazine published on Saturday, reported German news agency dpa.

"For me, it's clear: We shouldn't just address the price problem but must also keep security of supply in mind at all times."

The International Energy Agency warned on Friday that several European countries could face a kerosene shortage in the next six weeks.

Economy Minister Katherina Reiche noted in response that Germany is not solely dependent on imports, as kerosene - which is used to fuel aircraft - is also produced in German refineries.

However, according to the German Air Transport Association, even if the Iran war ends in the short term, the situation on the energy markets will only ease slowly.

Klingbeil, who also co-leads Germany's Social Democrats, appealed to the party's conservative coalition partner for energy policy reforms.

"We need to make the country more resilient, less dependent on fossil fuel imports."

The war with Iran showed this to be a crucial issue for the country, he added. "That's why we are pushing to further accelerate the expansion of renewable energies and are speeding up grid expansion."

Klingbeil on Thursday warned Reiche against slowing down the energy transition, pointing out that the coalition agreement stipulated the continued expansion of renewable energies.

--BERNAMA-dpa