As the world tightens controls on gas emissions and European electricity bills surge, stark images emerge from Russia concerning daily burning of millions of cubic meters of liquefied natural gas at the Portovaya facility in the Leningrad region, very near Finland.
This action represents serious ecological harm, releasing large quantities of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, along with thousands of tons of CO2. The location near the Arctic region, where warming proceeds at a rate four times faster than the global average, intensifies the potential impact.
Analysts from Norway-based energy consultancy Rystad Energy suggest that Gazprom may be disposing of surplus gas originally destined for Germany via Nord Stream 1. Berlin has framed the measures as political, while Gazprom argues they stem from a handful of technical problems.
Though exact causes remain unclear, the scale of gas burning is undeniable and deeply troubling.
The circle on the image highlights the smoke from the emissions, illustrating the vast scale of the release.
The emissions have been described by Rystad analysts as an environmental disaster, with the gas that enters the atmosphere equating to roughly 0.5% of the European Union’s daily gas needs. Satellite observations of Portovaya, home to the compression station of Nord Stream 1 which crosses the Baltic Sea toward Germany, show a pronounced glow in the night sky.
Russia has reduced Nord Stream 1 flow to about 20% of capacity and plans to pause it for three days next week for turbine maintenance. The European Union accuses Moscow of using gas as a weapon to sanction the invasion of Ukraine.
Flaring is a common practice in oil and gas production, but current levels are unusually high, a concern amplified by Russia’s ongoing supply cuts. Gazprom did not respond to Reuters requests for comment.
4.3 million cubic meters per day
Rystad analysts note that precise ignition volumes are hard to measure, but estimates suggest roughly 4.34 million cubic meters per day, equivalent to about 1.6 billion cubic meters per year and around 0.5% of EU gas needs. The initial flare activity was detected earlier this month in Finland, which borders Russia, underscoring regional implications.
According to the energy consultancy, Russia could be burning the equivalent of about 10 million euros daily in fuel today. The environmental stakes are especially high for the Arctic region, where the warming signal is most pronounced and the consequences resonate across climate and ecological systems.
The image of the Russian facility, captured by Reuters, underscores the visibility of the flare and its potential implications for cross-border energy security and environmental health.
President Vladimir Putin has stated that Russia, the world’s fourth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, aims to become carbon neutral by 2060, while the EU and other nations press Moscow to advance that target. Gazprom’s production has fallen by more than 13% from the start of the year through mid-August, with gas exports outside the former Soviet Union dropping over 36% to 78.5 bcm, coinciding with Western sanctions in response to the Ukraine invasion.
Although many experts believe Gazprom could halt flows to regulate output, the company continues burning the excess gas to manage supply.
Burning gas is widely recognized as an environmental disaster, with estimates from Rystad indicating daily CO2 emissions around 9,000 tons. The visible flame suggests that gas could be ready to flow again if political relations normalise, until such time when maintenance and geopolitical factors align to restore supply.
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