Germany Can’t Shake Russian Gas: LNG Purchases from Arctic Yamal Project Skyrocket
Novatek’s Yamal LNG facility in the Russian Arctic. (Source: Novatek)
Germany joined France, Belgium, and Spain as key importers of Russian LNG in 2024, a new study reveals. German energy company SEFE, federally-owned by the government, imported 58 shipments from Yamal LNG into the EU port of Dunkirk, a 650 percent increase over 2023. Some of this Russian LNG finds its way into Germany counter to its government’s assurances that it does not import Russian gas.
In 2024 Germany’s SEFE energy company emerged as a key importer of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG). Until now France, Belgium and Spain had been identified as the primary culprits for the continued flow of Russian LNG into the EU.
A new study by Environmental Action Germany (DUH) now shines a light on skyrocketing purchases by Germany.
Imports of Russian LNG into the EU rose by 19.3 percent in 2024 year over year. A key factor for this increase is the German company SEFE becoming an active buyer of Russian LNG, purchasing 58 shipments accounting for 4.2m tonnes in 2024.
This represents a staggering 6.5-fold increase over 2023.
Unknown amounts
SEFE’s imports via the French port of Dunkirk also find their way to Germany indirectly via pipeline connections with France and Belgium.
Germany plays a pivotal role facilitating the record imports of Russian LNG to the EU
Due to a lack of transparency of the internal EU gas market the researchers were not able to exactly determine how much Russian LNG reached Germany in the form of pipeline gas.
But according to calculations Russian LNG accounts for between 3 and 9.2 percent of all German gas imports.
No ban yet
“Although Germany has not directly purchased LNG supplies from Russia since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression, it plays a pivotal role facilitating the record imports of Russian LNG to the EU,” the report warns.
SEFE, a German federally-owned entity, was created following the nationalization of Gazprom’s Germany division in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine.
The German government argues that SEFE is bound by existing contractual obligations vis-à-vis Novatek. Only an EU-wide ban could allow it to break the agreement invoking force majeure.
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However, there appears to be little appetite by the German government, at least publicly, to push for such a ban. Germany did not join a recent coalition of ten EU states calling for an immediate ban of Russian LNG.
Whitewashing Russian LNG
The lack of transparency of the EU gas system enables the “whitewashing” of Russian LNG, the researchers conclude.
“For example, Russian LNG imported via Belgium to Germany is labelled as gas from Belgium in the official German gas import data, even though there is no such thing as Belgian gas,” the report highlights.
The imprecise book keeping by design allows each EU member state to deflect responsibility for the continued imports of Russian LNG and instead point fingers at neighboring states.
The report presents three different scenarios – a base case, an export case, and a worst-case – to calculate how much Russian LNG eventually ends up in Germany.
On the low end Germany relies on Russian LNG for 3 percent of its gas needs, with 4.2 percent in the export case and 9.2 percent in the worst case scenario.
To gain more clarity over the ultimate destination of Russian LNG once it enters the EU system, the report advocates for a gas tracking system; an approach also supported by Belgian officials.
Improved statistical record keeping including the origin of gas imports would also help clarify who ultimately consumes gas delivered in the form of Russian LNG.
