Belgium Records Surge in Russian Liquefied Natural Gas Imports
The surge follows an EU prohibition that took effect March 27, blocking the transit of Russian LNG through European ports bound for non-EU destinations.
The restriction, embedded within the EU's 14th sanctions package targeting Russia over its Ukraine military campaign, bars the re-export of Russian LNG to third countries, especially Asian markets.
However, the sanctions have triggered an unexpected consequence in Belgium. With Russian LNG shipments now unable to transit onward, escalating quantities are being fed directly into the European gas infrastructure via Belgian facilities.
Latest figures cited by media reveal that Russia's gas corporation Novatek, operating through its Yamal LNG subsidiary, supplied 35.2 terawatt-hours (TWh) of LNG to Belgium during the seven months after the transit prohibition commenced.
For context, between April and October across the prior three years, approximately 20 TWh of Russian LNG were routinely injected into the Belgian system. The current volume represents a surge exceeding two-thirds in net imports.
Belgium's National Bank has independently verified the substantial increase in Russian LNG purchases. During July and August, the monetary value of LNG imports from Russia allegedly tripled versus the corresponding months in the previous year.
The transit prohibition is viewed as a preliminary measure toward a comprehensive EU ban on Russian gas imports, scheduled to become operational in 2027.
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