EU imports record amounts of LNG from Russia
Although the European Union (EU) has set a target to end fossil fuel imports from Russia within a few years, it is noteworthy that it has increased its liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports from this country to record levels. EU countries imported a record total of 13.2 billion cubic meters of LNG from Russia in 2023’s January-July.
The European Union (EU) countries, which want to get rid of their energy dependence on Russia after the war in Ukraine, are the largest buyers of Russian LNG, according to data compiled by Global Witness and the Centre for Energy and Clean Air Research (CREA), Anadolu Agency reported.
EU countries have recently been importing more liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia than before the war.
While the share of EU countries in Russia's LNG exports was 39 percent in January-July 2021, this rate climbed to 49 percent in 2022 and 52 percent in 2023. Thus, EU countries bought more than half of Russian LNG despite the war.
EU countries imported a record total of 13.2 billion cubic meters of LNG from Russia in 2023’s January-July.
IMPORT RATE INCREASED BY 46%
The EU's LNG imports were at the level of 9 billion cubic meters in the same period of 2021 before the war. Thus, EU countries' imports of Russian LNG in 7 months of this year rose 46.6 percent above the pre-war level.
In addition, EU countries paid about 5.3 billion euros to Russia for LNG imports in 7 months.
Russia ranks fourth in global LNG exports after Australia, the United States (USA), and Qatar.
Last year, EU countries imported 44 percent of their total LNG imports from the US, 17 percent from Russia, and 13 percent from Qatar.
Before the Russia-Ukraine war, the EU imported 40 percent of its natural gas from Russia. After the war, Russia's share in natural gas deliveries to the EU dropped to 8 percent.
Source: Anadolu Agency
