Germany's Uniper sees bailout cost rising to $53 billion

FRANKFURT (Reuters) -Uniper on Wednesday said Berlin would need to pump an additional 25 billion euros ($25.76 billion) into the struggling gas importer to cover future losses it incurred after Russia halted its gas supply.

The amended bailout deal reflects the cancellation of a gas levy, originally designed to help German gas importers bear the costs.

This has been replaced with new authorised capital only the German government can subscribe to.

The update to the bailout agreement, struck in September, puts the cost of Uniper's nationalisation and rescue at up to 51.5 billion euros including equity injections, credit lines and the cost of buying out Uniper parent Fortum.

Germany's largest gas importer, Uniper has been the biggest corporate victim of the European energy crisis so far after Russia, its main supplier, halted gas flows earlier this year.

($1 = 0.9697 euros)

(Reporting by Christoph Steitz and Maria Sheahan; Editing by Madeline Chambers)