Europe industry urges reconsideration of Russian gas imports
In light of the energy crisis and difficulties in negotiating with alternative gas suppliers, leaders within European industry are increasingly advocating for the resumption of Russian gas supplies, kommersant.ru reports. Experts suggest that Russia could once again fulfil a significant portion of the EU's gas demand.
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, the European Union decided to completely halt Russian gas supplies by 2027 in response to Russian aggression.
The EU authorities had aimed to replace Russian gas with liquefied natural gas from the United States and Qatar. However, negotiations to boost supplies from these countries have stalled, leaving European economies in a challenging situation.
Russia could meet up to 25% of the EU's demand
In this context, voices are emerging among European industry leaders suggesting that the EU could consider resuming gas supplies from Russia. Didier Ollo, Executive Vice President of the French energy company Engie, notes that Russia could supply about 60-70 billion cubic metres of gas per year, meeting 20-25% of the Union's demand, compared to the 40% prior to the outbreak of the war. Patrick Pouyanné, President of TotalEnergies, echoes this opinion.
Meanwhile, the German chemical industry, facing difficulties due to the shortage of gas supplies, is also starting to call for a return to Russian resources, kommersant.ru reports.
Christoph Günther, Managing Director of InfraLeuna, the operator of the chemical park in Leuna, indicates that the economic crisis necessitates swift actions, and continued delays in stabilising gas supplies are becoming increasingly untenable.
