russian LNG imports to Belgium increased after European sanctions

This was reported by European Truth with reference to Belga.

Since 27 March, European ports have banned the transit of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from russia to destinations outside Europe.

This measure was part of the 14th package of sanctions imposed by EU member states to limit the financing of russia's military spending, but it also led to a significant increase in the volume of russian gas flowing into Belgium.

An analysis of the latest import data provided by the Belgian Federal Public Service Economy confirms this trend. In the seven months since the transit ban was introduced, russian gas company Novatek, through its subsidiary Yamal LNG, has unloaded 35.2 terawatt hours of LNG in Belgium.

With exports to Asia blocked, russia is now redirecting this gas to the European network. By comparison, in each of the previous three years, approximately 20 terawatt-hours of russian LNG entered the Belgian network in April and October, meaning that net imports have now increased by more than two-thirds.

The transit ban was the first step in preparation for a complete ban on russian gas imports. This broader ban, agreed by member states and the European Parliament earlier this month, will only come into force in 2027.

Source: European Pravda, Belga