The Russian gas group Gazprom announced on Saturday April 15 that it would send 38.5 million cubic meters of gas to Europe via Ukraine. This is a little less than the day before, 41.7 million cubic meters. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Europe has drastically reduced its imports of Russian gas due to Western sanctions. But a small quantity still transits through Ukrainian territory.
In 2022, Gazprom’s exports to the European Union plummeted 55%. Russia responded by reducing the flow of gas passing through the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines, then definitively shutting off the tap. In addition, the Twenty-Seven have agreed on the capping of wholesale gas prices as soon as they exceed 180 euros per megawatt hour.
Result: according to a study carried out in particular by the Friends of the Earth Federation, NGOs Oil Change International And Food Water ActionRussian gas imports by pipeline represented only 11% of European imports in the third quarter of 2022, compared to 40% in the same period a year earlier.
Hungary and Austria highly dependent on Russian gas
Transit via Ukraine currently remains the only route for transporting Russian gas to Europe. The gas pipeline Brotherhood mainly supplies Hungary and Austria, which remain highly dependent on Russian gas.
For their part, European countries have multiplied their imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG). The bulk of these purchases are made with the United States and Qatar, but also with Egypt and West Africa (Nigeria and Senegal).
► To read also: Alexei Miller, the very discreet boss of Gazprom
Lithuania’s energy independence
Heavily dependent on Russia for its gas needs, Lithuania began to free itself from it in 2014, thanks to the construction of a liquefied natural gas terminal installed opposite the port of Klaipeda, on the Baltic Sea. Interconnections with the Baltic countries and Poland enabled Vilnius to gain energy independence.
In June 2022, Lithuania became the first European Union member state to completely stop importing Russian gas. But this is not the case for the rest of Europe, as a small amount of liquefied gas comes from Russia.
Among the European countries that have imported the most Russian LNG are France, followed by Spain, the Netherlands and Belgium. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), in the event of a total stoppage of Russian liquefied gas deliveries and without an effort to reduce its needs, Europe could run out of gas next winter.