The European Commission urged EU countries to stop buying Russian LNG
[ad_1]
The European Commission (EC) called on EU member states to stop purchasing Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) and to abandon new contracts for its supply. This was stated by EC representative Tim McPhee at a briefing in Brussels.
According to Global Witness analysis, in 2023 the EU countries intend import record volumes of LNG from Russia. Compared to 2022, the volume of Russian LNG imported by the EU in January-July increased by 1.7%, compared to 2021 – by 40%.
Asked by journalists about the record growth in LNG purchases from Russia in 2023, Mr. McPhee said: “In terms of our goals, we have the Repower EU plan in place, which includes the task of getting rid of Russian gas purchases as soon as possible. We urge our countries and companies not to buy natural gas from Russia and not to enter into new contracts when the current ones run out.”
Commenting on the Global Witness report, the EC representative noted that we are talking about growth in percentage terms. “In real terms, this is a very small increase in supplies,” said Mr. McPhee (quoted by TASS).
According to information provided by Tim McPhee, in 2021 the European Union purchased 13.5 billion cubic meters of gas from Russia. m LNG. In 2022, the volume of LNG supplied from Russia to the EU amounted to 19.3 billion cubic meters. m, in the first half of 2023 – 10 billion cubic meters. m. “That is, the figures are quite commensurate,” he stressed.
The EC representative also drew attention to the fact that absolute purchases of Russian gas, which include both pipeline gas and LNG, have significantly decreased since 2021. “In 2021, our imports amounted to 155 billion cubic meters. m of gas in general, including pipeline and liquefied gas, in 2023 it will be 21 billion cubic meters. The EU is making real efforts to diversify our supplies away from natural gas and other carbon fuels from Russia,” he concluded.
The European Union has not yet imposed sanctions on Russian gas, both pipeline and LNG, unlike other fossil fuels from Russia. However, in the summer of 2022, the EU took a number of measures to limit dependence on Russian supplies. Through these measures, as well as through reduced industrial production and a warm EU winter managed to reduce total gas consumption by 17.7% from August 2022 to March 2023 compared to the average consumption in the same months of 2017-2022. By 2027, the European Union intends to completely abandon the import of Russian fossil fuels.
On the situation in the European gas market – in the material “Kommersant” “Gas comes in spot”.
[ad_2]
Source link
