Norway plans to take ownership of most of its gas pipeline network in 2028, when many existing concessions expire, the oil and energy ministry said in a statement on Friday, tightening the government’s control over key infrastructure.

The move comes as Norway has become Europe’s largest supplier of gas, following a drop in Russian gas flows, which the Nordic nation supplies via a network of pipelines stretching some 9,000 km (5,590 miles).

The ministry said on Friday it was sending a letter to licensees “signalling that the state aims to make use of the right of repatriation at the end of the license period”.

“The state wants complete state ownership of the central parts of the Norwegian gas transport system,” it said.

The network is owned by Gassled, a partnership set up in 2003 by the oil companies that were producing gas offshore Norway at the time.

Over time, the oil companies reduced, or sold entirely, their stakes, often selling to investment companies. The Gassled owners include funds such as

The technical operator is Gassco and would remain so under the new regime, the energy ministry said.
Source: Reuters (Reporting by Gwladys Fouche, editing by Terje Solsvik)