Europe

Paywall (original in German) https://archive.ph/jxmJq

Machine Translation

Trump confidant buys into Germany's energy supply According to information obtained by SPIEGEL, a US billionaire has acquired parts of Germany's fuel logistics, including access to NATO airfields and pipelines. The Ministry of Economic Affairs has approved the deal subject to conditions.

Kelcy Warren is a billionaire, a donor to the MAGA movement, and considered a close confidant of US President Donald Trump. The founder and CEO of the US corporation Energy Transfer once used attack dogs against environmental activists and sued Greenpeace for hundreds of millions of dollars. For about a week now, Energy Transfer's subsidiary Sunoco has controlled a significant portion of Germany's energy infrastructure.

On January 16, TanQuid, Germany's largest independent tank storage operator, announced the completion of an acquisition of significant importance to Germany's security: The energy company Sunoco LP, headquartered in Philadelphia, now controls approximately one-fifth of Germany's tank storage capacity and more than 1,000 kilometers of strategically important pipelines.

This includes a 49 percent stake in a pipeline operating company previously managed by TanQuid. This company supplies kerosene to German military airfields, including Büchel, where American nuclear weapons are stored, the training facility in Schleswig, and Neuburg Air Base, from which Eurofighters are scrambled when unidentified flying objects enter German airspace.

"This military infrastructure is extremely important for the operational capability of the air forces—the fact that it is now 49 percent owned by a US company is highly politically sensitive," says Jacopo Maria Pepe of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP). For him, the sale of TanQuid to Sunoco is at least questionable from a purely military perspective: While TanQuid does not hold a majority stake in the NATO pipeline network, Pepe says, "it certainly has influence—even in the event of a military confrontation. Because through the purchase, the US gains information about the system's capabilities and weaknesses." Should repairs become necessary due to wear and tear or sabotage, the US can block them.

Ministry of Economic Affairs Remains Silent on Details

The German government remained tight-lipped in this matter. When questioned by members of parliament last summer, the governing coalition initially refused to even disclose whether the acquisition was being reviewed at all. The answer: confidential. Only later did it become clear that a review was indeed underway. As part of a so-called investment review process, it was to be determined whether the deal could endanger the security of Germany or another EU member state. The Ministry of Economic Affairs, which was leading the process, initially remained stubbornly silent on the details.

When TanQuid had already announced the completion of the acquisition with a brief statement on its website, the ministry only confirmed, after an inquiry from SPIEGEL, what had already been decided behind the scenes: On January 9, a "conditional approval" had been granted. The Ministry of Economic Affairs declined to comment to SPIEGEL on what this entailed or whether the conditions truly reflected the security implications of the deal. That's all we'll say: The conditions would guarantee "the continuous supply of the TanQuid Group's tank storage capacities" and would also affect the pipeline operating company.

Since the first rumors about the takeover surfaced in the summer, the geopolitical situation and relations with the US have become rather strained. The question remains how much control over its own energy security the German government is willing to relinquish to a Trump ally – at a time when the US president is attempting to assert territorial claims to Greenland and is threatening high tariffs or sanctions in the event of resistance.

The government already downplayed the issue in a parliamentary inquiry from the Green Party last summer. At that time, members of parliament critically asked: Could a US owner deny German companies access to the tank storage facilities in a crisis? The government was also very reticent on whether Germany's energy security or the security of supply of chemical products could be jeopardized. It justified its stance by citing constitutionally protected trade secrets and the fundamental rights of the companies involved. The information was classified as "Confidential" and only passed on to the Bundestag's security office.

The Green Party had previously warned of a "sell-off of critical infrastructure." "Unfortunately, we cannot rely on the transatlantic friendship at the moment," warned energy policy spokesperson Michael Kellner. The facilities belong in German or European hands, especially given the Trump administration's actions.

“The German government should never have approved this deal,” criticizes Nina Noelle of Greenpeace. “It is handing over critical energy infrastructure to a US fossil fuel corporation and ignoring all legitimate security and climate policy concerns.” TanQuid is thus falling into the hands of a company whose parent company is putting environmental organizations like Greenpeace USA and Greenpeace International under pressure with potentially ruinous lawsuits.

The company in question is Energy Transfer, headed by Warren. The company made headlines last year when it sued Greenpeace USA for damages due to the organization's support of the protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline. According to the ruling, the environmental organization was to pay $660 million in damages; this sum has since been halved.

Kelcy Warren is relatively unknown outside the oil and gas industry. However, according to Forbes magazine, he is one of the 500 richest people in the world and a close ally of US President Donald Trump.

In Trump's first election campaign, Warren supported him with ten million dollars. Around six million more followed in the second. In total, it is estimated that Warren has donated up to 25 million dollars to initiatives close to MAGA. This likely doesn't hurt him; he is a multi-billionaire. Trump, in turn, showed his gratitude. In his first term, just days after taking office, he issued an executive order paving the way for the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline project by Warren's company, Energy Transfer Partners. He also gave Warren a seat on the board of trustees of the Kennedy Center.

When asked about the role of the acquisition, the buyer stated that it "continues Sunoco's growth strategy." "Our overarching goal remains to expand our geographic footprint and enhance our growth opportunities while maintaining a strong balance sheet," a spokesperson said.