Belgian energy minister considers sanctions against gas from Russia unlikely

Belgian Energy Minister Van der Streten believes that the European Union should stop importing Russian fuel from Moscow by 2027, so as not to be its “hostage”. However, she considered the imposition of sanctions against Russian gas unlikely. I talked to her about the prospects for refusing fuel from Russia The Financial Times.

According to the minister, Belgium is one of the world’s largest recipients of liquefied natural gas from Russia due to its status as a transit hub. According to the NGO Global Witness, the EU will import record volumes of liquefied natural gas from Russia this year as part of efforts to diversify supply through pipelines. According to these data, Belgium is the third largest importer of Russian LNG in the world. Belgium accounts for 17% of Russian fuel exports, second only to China and Spain.

The energy minister said she was “unhappy with the fact that Russian LNG is still flowing into the EU and through Belgium.” She noted that only 2.8% of imports remain in Belgium, while the rest is in transit to other countries. The Belgian port of Zeebrugge is a major LNG shipping hub. The main importers of fuel from Belgium are Germany and the Netherlands.

According to the minister, Belgium would support the imposition of sanctions against Russian LNG, but such a step is unlikely and requires the support of all EU countries. “The most effective thing we can do … is to wean ourselves off fossil fuels in general and make sure … that we can control energy ourselves,” the minister said.

A recently commissioned thermal battery project at the adhesive manufacturer Avery Dennison’s plant in the Belgian city of Turnhout could partly help reduce Belgium’s annual gas consumption by an average of 9%. For example, the project could completely replace gas during the hottest months. The EU allocated €1.43 million for the production of thermal batteries and financed the production of 70% of their component.

Anastasia Larina