A European ban on the transit of liquefied natural gas, which entered into force in March, has led to a significant increase in Russian gas deliveries to Belgium via the port of Zeebrugge.

Source: Belgian news agency Belga, as reported by European Pravda

Details: Since 27 March, a ban has been in place at European ports on the transit of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia to destinations outside Europe.

The measure was part of the 14th EU sanctions package aimed at limiting funding for Russia's military spending, but it has also resulted in a sharp increase in volumes of Russian gas entering Belgium.

An analysis of the latest import data provided by Belgium's Federal Public Service Economy confirms this trend. Over seven months since the transit ban was introduced, Russian gas company Novatek, via its subsidiary Yamal LNG, unloaded 35.2 terawatt-hours of LNG in Belgium.

With exports to Asia blocked, Russia is now redirecting this gas into the European network. By comparison, over the previous three years, around 20 terawatt-hours of Russian LNG entered the Belgian network annually between April and October, meaning net imports have now risen by more than two-thirds.

Background: The transit ban was the first step in preparations for a full ban on imports of Russian gas. This broader ban, agreed upon by EU member states and the European Parliament earlier this month, is due to enter into force in 2027.

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