Dutch energy minister says government will not sign new supply contracts for Moscow LNG
The Netherlands is working to end imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing Dutch Energy Minister Rob Jetten.
He said the government had already stopped signing new contracts for importing fuel from the sanctioned country.
“We have to do what we can to ensure that there is no Russian fossil energy in our system, and we have succeeded with coal, pipeline and oil,Jetten explained, adding that authorities are in constant talks with national energy companies, urging them to scale back pre-existing LNG deals. The measures will apply to spot and long-term contracts, the minister said.
Russian LNG imported under contracts signed before 2023 represents around 15% of total Dutch fuel imports. According to ship tracking data, so far this year the Netherlands has been the EU’s fourth largest buyer of Russian fuel. The country is also a transit hub for gas supply, so a move away from Russian LNG could impact the entire European energy market, analysts say.
Jetten’s announcement follows a similar move by Spain, Europe’s largest buyer of Russian LNG, where importers were also recently told not to sign new supply contracts for fuel from Russia. .
Brussels has made broader efforts to find a way for member states to ban Russian LNG shipments without introducing new energy sanctions. Last month, the bloc’s energy ministers approved a proposal that gives national governments the legal power to temporarily prevent Russian exporters from pre-booking the infrastructure capacity they need for deliveries.
However, not all European countries are eager to reduce the use of Russian energy. Earlier this week, Hungary reached an agreement with Russian gas giant Gazprom on supplies above what is foreseen in its long-term contracts. The EU country is around 85% dependent on Russian natural gas.
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