Spain is becoming a major player in the world, taking advantage of its enormous park of gasification plants (receiving and sending gas on ships). continental gas board. The Spanish gas system, which concentrates a third of all Europe’s regasification capacity great continental hub for arrival and re-export The amount of liquefied natural gas (LNG) transported frozen by ships has reached historical high levels.
Europe offered Dependence on Russian gas is gradually decreasing and Russia has cut gas pipeline sales to the continent. But for now Russia’s gas imports are officially not affected by economic sanctions There was an imposition by the EU to cut off the Kremlin’s funding channels to finance the military occupation of Ukraine.
With its gas purchases other than the raw materials included in the trade blockade, Spain is also becoming the great gateway of Russian gas to Europe. Spanish market confirmed to be the largest street gas import by ship Gas comes from Russia from all over the European Union; European energy companies are taking advantage of the country’s extensive network of regasification plants and then aim to sell some of this gas elsewhere.
As a result, the weight The arrival of Russian gas in Spain has continued to increase since the beginning of the war, rising by more than 50% this year alone.According to data from Enagás, the manager of the Spanish gas system, and the Strategic Petroleum Products Reserves Authority (Cores). This increase confirms that Spain is Europe’s largest importer, ahead of France and Belgium.
According to estimates of the Institute of Energy Economics and Finance, European Union countries paid 5 billion 510 million euros for Russian gas imports between January and July, and almost a third of this amount was concentrated in purchases for installations on the Spanish gas market. Analysis (IEEFA) is a specialized think tank based in the United States.
Energy companies paid privately 1 billion 650 million euros in the first seven of the year for the purchase of Russian gas reaching Spain (A quarter of the total cost of Spain’s liquefied natural gas imports of 6.3 billion). According to the latest report published by IEEFA, the amount paid by Spain to Russia puts the country at the top of buyers, ahead of imports of 1 billion 320 million from France, 1 billion 300 million from Belgium or 910 million from the Netherlands.
government request
The Spanish Government has repeatedly expressed its preference publicly. Energy companies reduce Russian gas purchasesHowever, we assume that companies will be able to continue buying Russian gas due to the lack of a coordinated decision by the European Union to veto the import of this gas.
The manager went so far as to directly ask By sending letters to major Spanish gas operators to stop buying Russian gas Do not sign new supply contracts, agreeing with European Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson’s request not to sign new gas supply contracts with Russian companies after existing ones expire.
“It is necessary to unite in this request from the Commission and call on Spanish companies in the sector to intensify the diversification of liquefied natural gas supply contracts and abandon contracts from Russia,” said the vice president and minister in charge of the Ecological Transition. Teresa Ribera in her letter to major energy operators Spaniards.
No EU veto
The European Union has launched various sanctions packages against Russia. Economically strangling Vladimir Putin’s government and cut off their means of financing the war in Ukraine. Among the many punitive measures, blocking Russian gas purchases is not included. And after more than a year and a half of war, Spain becomes the largest importer of Russian gas by ship and then re-exports it to other countries.
In the energy sector, different conditions are put forward to explain the constant increase in purchases from Russia. Imports respond in many cases long-term contracts signed long before the occupation The companies justify that they cannot break through without exposing themselves to million-dollar sanctions, and part of the increase in arrivals corresponds to the diversion of LNG ships to other European countries, which are forced to look elsewhere due to problems. in factories in Europe, especially during last summer.
Spain’s largest gas operator, Naturgy, continues to purchase gas from Russia as a result of its long-term contract with the liquefaction facility Yamal. It is controlled by a consortium that includes private Russian group Novatek. French Totalenergies and Chinese companies. The contract foresees the supply of just over 3 billion cubic meters of gas per year until 2042.