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European Union (EU) lawmakers accredited new guidelines that might enable member international locations to restrict LNG imports from Russia as cargoes proceed to hit Europe’s ports in document numbers.

Beneath the brand new fuel market rules, international locations might legally block Russian exporters from with the ability to bid on liquefied pure fuel import or storage capability.

“We now have launched a authorized choice for EU international locations to cease importing fuel from Russia if there’s a safety risk, which supplies them a instrument to section out our dependence on a harmful monopolist,” Polish EU Parliament Member Jerzy Buzek mentioned.

[Market Moves: What is affecting the natural gas market today? From the LNG pause to climate goals, get the latest on what is top of mind for the energy industry. Tune in to NGI’s podcast now.]

The rules additionally give member international locations new instruments for blocking Russian and Belarusian corporations from reserving pipeline capability to ship pure fuel to Europe.

To date, the EU has averted overt bans or sanctions on Russian fuel, however curtailments – adopted by broken pipeline infrastructure – have compelled westward flows of Russian volumes to a trickle in comparison with pre-2022 ranges.

In the meantime, a number of EU members and vitality analysts have warned that Russia might be making up misplaced income to gas its actions in Ukraine with LNG gross sales to Europe.

After the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Russian LNG imports by EU international locations surpassed the earlier annual document of 12.28 million tons (Mt) in 2019, in response to knowledge from Kpler. EU international locations imported 15.34 Mt in 2022 and 15.54 Mt in 2023.

To date this 12 months, EU international locations are on observe to obtain 6.11 Mt by the tip of April, greater than twice the quantity acquired in all of 2018.

Nearly all of these volumes landed in Europe’s prime three fuel hubs of Belgium, France and Spain, in response to Kpler.

PAO Novatek, operator of Yamal LNG and Russia’s largest non-public fuel producer, additionally makes use of Belgium as a regasification and storage hub for a big portion of its LNG to Europe. For the previous two years, virtually 75% of all Russian LNG that has landed in Europe has come from Yamal LNG, in response to Kpler.

Nonetheless, because the regulatory bundle was launched late final 12 months, no international locations have formally dedicated to utilizing the brand new guidelines to dam Russian imports.

In a not too long ago revealed paper, researchers from the Oxford Institute of Vitality Research concluded that Europe continues to be unable to utterly ban Russian pipeline fuel or LNG with out risking potential vitality shortfalls or excessive worth spikes.

If EU members have been to utterly block Russian LNG imports, the researchers warned, Russia might retaliate with extra pipeline fuel curtailments, which might go away the continent determined for extra LNG from the worldwide market.

“Relying on the timing of recent LNG provide tasks, the entire cessation of Russian fuel imports below extreme climate eventualities will seemingly enhance fuel costs globally and a shift in direction of coal utilization, exacerbating international CO2 emissions,” researchers wrote. “This shift is especially pronounced below extreme climate situations and spikes in vitality demand.”

The submit EU Grants Members Choice to Block Russian LNG Imports appeared first on Pure Fuel Intelligence

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