EU imports of Russian LNG gas via Zeebrugge set a new record
A record 4.3 million cubic metres of LNG – liquified natural gas – from Russia arrived in Belgium on tankers last year all bound for the European market. The figure is up a whopping 70% on the year figures from data company ICIS show. The EU market is still heavily dependent on Russian gas. By using the Flemish port of Zeebrugge Russia is also able to export LNG gas to China all year round.
The Vladimir Voronin is one of the Russian icebreaker tankers deployed to transport LNG gas from the Siberian Jamal peninsula to Zeebrugge. The 300-metre tanker forms part of Yamal LNG’s fleet of 15 ultramodern LNG tankers. The company is a Russian-Chinese joint venture in which France’s TotalEnergies also has a stake. The tanker is not alone. Since 2020 Zeebrugge has become a global hub for the distribution of Siberian gas.
A twenty-year contract between Belgium’s Fluxys and the Russians ensures that Yamal LNG can supply LNG gas to China, Japan, South Korea, India and Pakistan also during the winter months. During the winter the shorter north eastern route cannot be navigated due to the ice.
When the contract was concluded Zeebrugge still possessed extra capacity. Fluxys calculated it could process a further 200 tankers. In all 18.4 million cubic metres of Siberian LNG gas could be processed each year.
Despite the war in Ukraine and EU sanctions the practice continues unhindered.
Zeebrugge is also increasingly being used to import Russian LNG gas into the EU. In 2017 hardly any Russian LNG gas destined for the EU was imported via the Flemish port. In 2019 2.7 million cubic metres passed through Zeebrugge bound for the European market. The pandemic and low economic activity put a damper on this but figures have now once again shot up. ICIS calculates 4.3 million cubic metres of LNG passed through Zeebrugge last year all bound for the EU market.
Other EU states too import Russian LNG gas, but no other entry port processes as much as Zeebrugge. Despite reducing dependence on Russian LNG gas as a result of the war in Ukraine the EU still can’t do without it and President Putin’s coffers continue to be filled.
A country like Britain has radically decreased its import from Russia following the further invasion of Ukraine. The UK managed to compensate this by imports from other LNG producers that have massively increased production.
The Americans, the Egyptians and the Norwegians have all increased exports to the EU. This is also reflected in the figures at Zeebrugge, where imports from Qatar are twice the size of those from the Russian Federation. US exports of LNG gas via Zeebrugge were even higher by a factor of ten. In 2021 two vessels with shale gas docked at Zeebrugge. By last year there were over 20 tankers. Today the Americans are Zeebrugge’s second biggest exporter of LNG to the EU after Russia.
Belgium is not following the UK’s lead and is not massively reducing gas imports from Russia. Both PM De Croo (Flemish liberal) and energy minister Van der Straeten (Flemish green) when quizzed by VRT say that it’s the EU who has responsibility for imposing an import ban on Russian gas.
When asked about a possible termination of the contract with the Russians Fluxys that operates the LNG terminal in Zeebrugge says the port is an open access facility and that by law customers can’t be discriminated against.
Part of the 50 million euros that the company makes by offering services to Yamal LNG ends up with Belgian municipalities that are the main shareholders of Fluxys.