Germany has increased imports of Russian LNG through European ports sixfold

Last year, German energy company Sefe bought 58 LNG cargoes through the French port of Dunkirk.

This is six times more than in 2023, the Financial Times reports.

Despite the cessation of imports of Russian pipeline gas, Germany continues to receive between 3 and 9.2% of its gas from Russia via other EU countries.

For example, after LNG delivered to Belgian ports is regasified and sent by pipeline to other EU countries, it is usually designated as “Belgian gas” in official German databases, even though Belgium does not produce its own.

At the same time, the country is the largest recipient of Russian LNG, along with Spain and France (which came in first place last year).

In November, the German government ordered state-owned LNG terminals not to accept gas from Russia, as this contradicts the country’s interests and its desire to completely get rid of its dependence on Russia in the energy sector.

“But official imports from France and Belgium actually consist partly of Russian LNG, effectively whitewashing its supply. As a result, all countries can claim that they are not responsible for the increase in demand for Russian LNG,” said Angelos Koutsis, an energy policy specialist at Bond Beter Leefmilieu.

France and nine other EU countries in October 2024 called for the publication of data on Russian LNG suppliers and volumes arriving at ports. However, the lack of a unified approach to regulating this issue continues to complicate the fight against Russian influence in the energy market.

Sefe, formerly owned by Russia’s Gazprom and nationalized in 2022, does not disclose data on its purchases. At the same time, it has a long-term contract with the Russian Yamal LNG project, which allows it to buy Russian LNG through intermediaries.

USM previously reported that by the end of 2024, the European Union imported 15.5 million tons of Russian LNG, which is the highest figure since 2019.