INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Europe imported record quantities of Russian liquefied gas (LNG) in 2024, The Guardian reported Thursday, pointing out data from energy
analysts.Despite heavily lowering its imports of piped Russian gas a crucial source of profits for Russias war chest following the Kremlins
full-scale intrusion of Ukraine, Europe has increasingly purchased LNG from Russia and other countries.European ports received 17.8 million
tons of LNG from Russia in 2024, over 2 million heaps more than in 2023, the paper reported, pointing out data from Rystad Energy.In terms
of volume, Europe imported 49.5 billion cubic meters (bcm) of Russian gas through pipelines and 24.2 bcm in LNG, said Jan-Eric Fhnrich, a
gas expert at Rystad Energy.Fhnrich kept in mind that some of these imports were resold to other countries.The Centre for Research on Energy
and Clean Air (Crea)s information said the European Union imported17.5 million tons of Russian LNG in 2024 a 14% year-on-year rise in volume
totaling7.32 billion euros ($7.5 billion)
The reason for the increase is fairly easy, Vaibhav Raghunandan, a Russia expert at Crea, informed The Guardian
Russian LNG is used at a discount to alternative suppliers With no sanctions troubled the commodity, companies are running in their own
self-interest and purchasing increasing amounts of gas from the most affordable supplier.The data comes days after Ukraine ended the
decades-long transit of Russian natural gas to Europe through its pipelines.The EU prohibited Russian crude oil and coal after Moscow got
into Ukraine in 2022 but has actually stayed away from total bans on pipeline gas and LNG.In June 2024, the EUsaid it would prohibit the
transshipment of Russian LNG that goes on to non-EU nations and prohibit brand-new investments and services in LNG production projects in
Fhnrich told The Guardian that in 2015s boost in Russian LNG imports may have been tied to efforts to ship volumes ahead of the brand-new
