OMV demands EU gas commitment

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Business

The head of Austria’s leading oil and gas company has appealed to political leaders to take a stand for gas as a key future source of energy. Gerhard Roiss, who has headed OMV AG since 2011, told the Kurier newspaper that the European Union (EU) should make clear whether it supported the search for and […]

Red Bull sales soar

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Business

Red Bull managed to sell more than 4.6 billion cans of its trademark drink last year, it was announced yesterday (Weds). The company – which has its headquarters in Fuschl near Salzburg – said 4.63 billion cans of its energy drink were purchased across the world in 2011, 11.4 per cent more than in the […]

Glaciers melting at record speed

Categories
Green Austria

Despite the record cold winter Austrian climatologists say the country’s glaciers melted last year faster than ever before. They highlighted the case of the glacier on the Dachstein that in 2011 shrunk with the loss of 6 million cubic metres of water – enough to fill 40 million baths. The melting glaciers are also a […]

ORF making waves

Categories
Green Austria

A report on ORF television in Vorarlberg about specially shaped waves designed to catch and deflect negative energy from ley lines has provoked a huge reaction. Dozens of people who have purchased the waves and had them mounted in their homes have since contacted the consumer protection office in Vorarlberg to ask about getting a […]

Berlakovich rejects shale gas project

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Business

People’s Party (ÖVP) Environment Minister Nikolaus Berlakovich has spoken out against plans to produce shale gas in Lower Austria. Large reserves of the substance may be located in rocks up to 6,000 metres below the surface in the north-eastern province of Lower Austria. Austrian oil and gas group OMV AG reportedly plans to carry out […]

Röttgen rules out electricity shortage

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Politics

German Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Environment Minister Norbert Röttgen has emphasised that his country would not be facing an energy supply crisis this winter despite its farewell to nuclear technology. The German government coalition of CDU, Free Democratic Party (FDP) and the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU) decided around half a year ago to order […]

EVN turnover drops as gas price hike is imminent

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Business

Lower Austrian energy sector giant EVN AG has suffered a slight decline in turnover despite selling more electricity and gas to customers in the past winter. The firm announced today (Thurs) its turnover slid by 0.9 per cent to 2.16 billion Euros from the first three quarters of the 2009/2010 business year to the next […]

Russian region ready to ban Red Bull

Categories
Business

The trademark drink of Austria’s most powerful brand in the world may soon be banned in a region of Russia, one of the strongest economies in the world. Moscow newspapers report today (Weds) that the State Duma, the country’s federal parliament, has begun discussing a prohibition of sales of Red Bull and other caffeine-based drinks […]

Arnie is back in Austria

Categories
General News

Disgraced action film star Arnold Schwarzenegger has promised to return to Austria in autumn during a speech at an international energy issues summit in Vienna today (Tues). The fallen Hollywood hero – who kept quiet towards his estranged wife about his illegitimate child with a maid of many years – revealed plans to visit Thal […]

Electricity price hikes ahead

Categories
Business

An energy sector expert has warned that electricity prices will climb further. The Austrian Energy Agency said today (Thurs) its price index for next month was 7.6 per cent higher than figures of July 2010. It added that the index rose from June 2011 to July of the same year by 1.7 per cent. These […]