The precise impact for Fluxys, operator of the Zeebrugge terminal, is however not yet clear. The company could not be reached for comment Monday.
Over the last six months, more than half (53%) of the LNG arriving in Zeebrugge by LNG tanker came from Russia, a major producer of liquefied natural gas globally. Often, this LNG arrives in Belgium aboard icebreaking LNG carriers. In Zeebrugge, LNG can be transferred to other vessels (transshipment), temporarily stored for later reloading, loaded onto trucks or even regasified to be injected into the transport network. A significant portion of Russian LNG (36%) that arrives there actually leaves immediately, by ship or truck, to other destinations.
Sanctions against Russia: the European Union attacks Russian liquefied gas, but not too much
Fluxys is linked for these services by a long-term contract with the Russian company Yamal, signed in 2015. These long-term contracts cannot simply be terminated, it has been pointed out several times in recent months. In May, Energy Minister Tinne Van der Straeten maintained that Zeebrugge needed to stop being a hub for Russian LNG. “If force majeure is invoked to terminate the contract, Zeebrugge’s supply slots could be freed up to import LNG from the United States,” the environmentalist indicated. She specified that the government of Alexander De Croo agreed to move in this direction, with at the same time an increase in humanitarian aid and the sending of F-16s to Ukraine. “Otherwise the help is of no use.”
The sanctions adopted on Monday the 27th, concerning Russian LNG, will come into force after a transition period of 9 months. They provide for a ban on the transshipment and reloading of Russian LNG in European ports, if the gas is intended for a third party market.
