· New study on Russian LNG imports to the EU finds that 2024 imports rose 19 per cent year-on-year to a record level
· Key player: German company SEFE purchased 58 shipments totalling 4.1 million tonnes – six and a half times the amount purchased the previous year
· Russian liquefied natural gas is estimated to have accounted for at least 3 per cent and in the worst case significantly more of Germany’s total gas imports in 2023
Berlin/Brussels, 28 January 2025: Despite sanctions, Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports to the EU reached record levels in 2024. Imports increased by 19.3 per cent compared to the previous year. The German state-owned company SEFE played a central role in this, acting as a buyer for 58 deliveries with a total volume of 4.1 million tonnes – six and a half times as much as in the previous year, when it purchased 12 deliveries with a volume of 880,000 tonnes in 2023. This is the result of a new analysis by the German environmental organisation Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH), together with the environmental organisations Urgewald, Razom We Stand (Ukraine) and Bond Beter Leefmilieu (Belgium). Russian liquefied natural gas will account for at least 3 percent and at worst up to 9.2 percent of total German gas imports in 2023. The specific amount is difficult to determine due to the lack of transparency in the EU internal gas market. The organisations are calling for an EU-wide embargo on Russian LNG deliveries.
Sascha Müller-Kraenner, Federal Managing Director of DUH: “More than a thousand days after Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine began, the EU continues to import Russian liquefied natural gas – and imports have even risen to record levels in 2024. Particularly explosive: the state-owned company SEFE is sticking to long-term contracts with the Russian supplier Novatek and emerged as a central buyer in 2024. The German government must urgently change its political and economic course here and advocate for an immediate European embargo on Russian liquefied natural gas. This is essential for security and climate policy. Only by expanding renewable energies can Germany and Europe achieve stable and more affordable energy independence.”
Svitlana Romanko, Ukrainian founder and executive director of Razom We Stand: ‘We are approaching the third year of Russia’s horrific war against Ukraine. It is shocking that EU imports of Russian LNG have actually increased during this time. EU leaders must stop their hypocrisy. When they pledge support for Ukraine, they must not simultaneously send their money to Russia, which is using it to fill its war coffers and carry out atrocities and war crimes against innocent people. In particular, the German government must now take responsibility for the federally-owned company SEFE by stopping imports of Russian liquefied gas and working within Europe to achieve a complete embargo of all Russian fossil fuels. In addition, a complete embargo would strengthen Europe’s negotiating position in future peace negotiations.‘
Angelos Koutsis, energy expert at Bond Beter Leefmilieu: ’Germany has banned the import of Russian LNG via its own ports. However, imports officially coming from France and Belgium sometimes actually consist of Russian LNG. In the end, all countries can claim that they are not responsible for the increasing imports of Russian LNG. To finally put an end to this game, we are calling for the LNG to be tracked from the country of origin to the EU country where the gas is consumed. This would not only ensure greater transparency, but also strengthen security of supply and help the EU meet its climate targets.’
Background:
In 2023, 13.35 million tonnes of Russian LNG were imported into the EU, in 2024 it was 15.93 million tonnes – an increase of 19.3 per cent. A total of 18.47 million tonnes of Russian LNG flowed into the EU, of which 2.55 million tonnes were exported to non-EU countries. In 2023, 16.94 million tonnes of Russian LNG still flowed into the EU, an increase of 9 per cent. Data sets from the data provider KPLER were used for the analysis.
The share of Russian LNG in Germany’s total imports is estimated to be between 3 and 9.2 per cent, depending on the scenario. A quantitative analysis of five data sets (including data sets from the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Gas, Entsog, the French Ministry of the Environment, the Belgian government, the LNG tracker of the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, IEEFA, and the German Federal Network Agency) was used to estimate the possible range of Russian LNG as a percentage of total gas imports to Germany in 2023. For this purpose, three scenarios were developed based on public statements by ministers from Belgium and France, including a worst-case scenario.
*Translated from original German by Deepl pro, original here
