EU increases gas imports from Russia: how long despite war?

EU increases gas imports from Russia: how long despite war?

Despite the continuing conflict in Ukraine and the associated sanctions, the European Union (EU) increased its gas imports from Russia by 18% in 2024 compared to the previous year. This is evident from a report by vienna.at . The increase in imports includes both gas supplied via pipelines, as well as liquid gas (LNG). Despite the political tensions and the EU's focus on independence from fossil energies, demand in the Union has not caught, which led to an increase in gas prices by almost 60% in 2024.

record imports of liquid gas

In 2024 the import of Russian LNG to the EU reached a record level, with an increase of 19.3% compared to 2023, such as FR.DE reported. The German state -owned company Sefe (Securing Energy for Europe GmbH) was one of the largest customers of Russian LNG, which was extensively received this year. Sefe acquired a total of 58 deliveries with a volume of 4.1 million tons, which corresponds to an increase of six and a half times compared to the previous year.

The German environmental aid and numerous environmental organizations are calling for an EU-wide embargo against Russian LNG. Critics argue that the import of LNG is not subject to EU sanctions, which causes countries to deny responsibility for the increased imports. Even if some EU countries have banned the direct import of Russian gas over their own ports, the detour via other countries proves to be problematic.

challenges and geopolitical risks

The geopolitical tensions with the USA are an additional risk of European energy supply, especially with regard to the dependence on LNG deliveries from overseas. The EU has set itself the goal of intensifying energy education with the United States and diversifying alternative energy sources. A current report by Tagesschau.de shows that Russia is currently with a share of 16% of the second largest LNG supplier for the EU.

The EU Commission plans to do without Russian gas, be it through pipelines or as a LNG by 2027. However, this makes it difficult to switch to alternative energy suppliers by an inadequate willingness of the Member States. The ongoing investments in LNG projects and the fact that almost half of the imports come from Russia are a major challenge.

In order to ensure future security of supply, the EU urgently has to rethink its dependence on Russian gas and develop alternative strategies.