German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck is calling for the rapid construction of liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals to help the country get more gas from overseas suppliers and phase out Russian imports, which currently account for about a third of Germany's natural gas, YALE E360 reports.

There are currently no LNG terminals in Germany. The German government, which says it can support an EU embargo on Russian oil by the end of this year, intends to phase out Russian natural gas by mid-2024. Habek said it would be unrealistic to stop Russian gas supplies ahead of time, according to Euractiv.

Habeck has also previously called for the construction of new terminals at Tesla speeds, referring to Tesla's gigafactory in Berlin, which was built in just two years. To meet this deadline, Tesla began construction before all permits were received, an approach that Habek is now advocating for LNG.

In total, the German government plans to build over 68 billion cubic meters of import capacity, much more than the 40 billion cubic meters of gas imported from Russia last year.

Habek, a member of the Green Party, has faced criticism from environmentalists for his promotion of LNG, which runs counter to his efforts to curb climate change. Critics say the construction of new LNG terminals risks further strengthening the position of natural gas. A recent analysis showed that by increasing clean energy and energy efficiency, the EU could end Russian natural gas imports by 2025 without building new gas infrastructure.