The Spanish gas company Enagas has announced its readiness to stop purchasing Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) by 2027. According to the company’s CEO, Arturo Gonzalo, the country will be able to replace these volumes of blue fuel with supplies from the United States.
This is reported by Finway
EU Plan to Phase Out Russian Energy Resources
The European Union is currently considering a strategy for gradually halting the import of oil and gas from Russia by January 2028. The possibility of implementing a complete ban on the import of Russian LNG as early as 2027 is also being discussed. These measures aim to reduce the financial inflows to the Kremlin that are directed towards supporting military actions against Ukraine.
“I understand that Europe needs to raise its level of ambition in sanctions against Russia,” said Arturo Gonzalo.
Origin Control and Exceptions for Imports
Enagas already has the technical capabilities to operate without Russian gas supplies. According to the company’s leader, gas operators use a certification system that allows tracking the country of origin of LNG. From now on, supplier companies are required to provide information about the origin of the cargoes being unloaded in Spain, and this data is verified against accompanying documents and undergoes customs control.
According to the draft of the new EU regulation, importers will have to prove the country of origin of the gas before the cargo arrives on European territory. National regulators will have the right to demand additional details regarding supply contracts.
At the same time, the new requirements will not apply to countries that supplied more than 5 billion cubic meters of gas to the EU in the previous year. In particular, these exceptions allow American LNG to continue flowing smoothly into the European market.