EU Spent €7.2 Billion On Russian LNG in 2025, Maximizing Imports Before 2027 Ban Europe keeps buying Russian fuel without any noticeable slowdown with less than 12 months remaining before an EU ban on the import of Russian LNG takes effect. Highlighting the ineffectiveness of existing EU half-measures, including the transshipment ban, Belgium more than doubled its imports from Yamal LNG in 2025, simply keeping LNG once the re-export ban took effect.
UK Maritime Services Ban on Russian LNG Threatens Seapeak’s Arctic Yamal Fleet The UK maritime services ban will apply to Seapeak Maritime (Glasgow) Ltd., a key provider of shipping services to Russia’s Yamal LNG project, the government confirmed to HNN. Without Seapeak’s six Arc7 LNG carriers the project would face significant logistical challenges. The upcoming EU import ban will further complicate the project’s future.
Britain to Ban Transport of Russian LNG on UK-linked Vessels The UK continues to lead the way against Russia’s LNG sector. New measures will directly target the transport of Russian supercooled gas to markets around the world. The ban will disallow UK-linked companies from carrying the country’s gas or providing maritime services, such as insurance or maintenance, to the vessels.
Germany Signals Green Light to Exit Yamal LNG Deal Under EU’s 19th Sanctions Package Germany may invoke “force majeure” to exit Yamal LNG deal. The EU’s 19th sanctions package provides state-owned SEFE legal cover to exit the Russian LNG contract, Germany says. The news is the first concrete step of long-term purchase agreements being unwound, signaling the beginning of the end for Russian gas exports to Europe.
EU Talks Tough on Russian LNG, But Buys More Than Ever in 2025 The EU energy double standard continues. Just days after agreeing to stop buying Russian LNG by 2027 new data show that the bloc is importing record-levels of the fuel in 2025, up 7 percent over the same period in 2024. During the first six months of 2025 member states spent €4.5 billion on supercooled gas from Russia.
“Time to Turn off the Tap” on Russian LNG Says EU After Trump Pressure Trump's comments trigger renewed efforts by Brussels to phase out Russian liquefied natural gas imports. EU officials now indicate their goal is to ban the supercooled gas by January 2027, a full year ahead of a previously proposed timeline. It is unclear if the Trump Administration will also reengage in sanctioning the Russian LNG sector, it has given a pass to Chinese buyers in recent weeks.
Russian LNG Carrier Stops in Northern Norway’s Honningsvåg, Again Russian liquefied natural gas carriers continue to use Norway’s Arctic fjords as convenient stopover points, exchanging crews and taking on provisions. Over the weekend a Yamal LNG tanker stopped outside Honningsvåg for 18 hours before proceeding to Murmansk.
French Shipyard Halts Service for Russian LNG Fleet, Leaving Danish Yard as Sole Western Provider A French shipyard’s decision to stop servicing Russian liquefied natural gas vessels isolates the country’s Arctic fleet, shifts maintenance burden to Danish yard. The move further tightens logistical constraints on Moscow’s exports ahead of broader planned EU sanctions to fully phase out Russian gas imports.
Deliveries of Russian LNG from Yamal Hold Steady, EU Transshipment Ban Showing Little Effect Following the EU’s transshipment ban on Russian LNG it remains business as usual for Novatek’s Yamal project. New data show that it shipped out 120 loads of supercooled gas thus far this year – just three less than last year.
EU Sanctions Russian ‘Shadow Fleet’ Vessels Routinely Passing Through Norwegian Waters, Stopping at Honningsvåg A liquefied natural gas carrier working for Russia’s Yamal LNG project stopped in Honningsvåg in Northern Norway last week. Now the EU has sanctioned the vessel. Will Norwegian authorities put an end to allowing Russian LNG vessels resupplying in the country’s ports?
EU Proposes Russian Gas Ban for 2027 But Imports on the Rise Again, Norway Remains Top Supplier After years of debate the European Commission aims to ban Russian gas by the end of 2027. How the proposal will be received across EU capitals remains to be seen, especially in light of recently rising gas imports from Russia. Meanwhile Norway solidly remains the largest supplier providing nearly one-third of EU gas.
Russia’s Arctic ‘Yamal LNG’ Gas Plant Saw a Record 287 Cargo Loadings in 2024 While Western sanctions have impeded or complicated much of Russia’s energy economy, the Yamal LNG plant continues to export liquefied gas like clockwork. Every month around 25 vessels load cargo at the Sabetta terminal, for a total of 287 deliveries in 2024, new data by Center for High North Logistics show.
EU Imports of Russian LNG Decrease by One-Third During Month of April For the first time since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine EU imports of Russian liquefied natural gas have recorded a significant drop. Figures for April indicate a 35 percent reduction in deliveries in comparison to the same period last year. But it remains unclear if the reduction is just a temporary decline or the beginnings of a shift away from supercooled gas from Russia.
China Looking to Buy More Russian Arctic LNG as EU Aims to Announce Plans in May to Phase Out Imports As the EU is gearing up to publish its roadmap to phase out Russian LNG, China’s appetite for deliveries of supercooled gas from the Arctic could see a rise in the coming months. Whether China will also welcome cargoes from the sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project remains a key question.
How Russia’s Security Service FSB Gained Control Over the Yamal LNG Fleet Reportedly Setting Up Covert Cargo Operations A targeted operation by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) successfully pushed out Western officers from the Yamal LNG fleet in favor of Russian personnel, a HNN investigation has uncovered. The FSB action establishes significant Russian control over the vessels in support of a possible covert cargo operation between European ports and the Sabetta terminal.
EU Paid Near 300% More for Russian LNG in 2024 Compared to Early 2021 Not only is the EU importing record levels of LNG from Russia, it is also paying a substantially higher price than before the Ukraine War, new Eurostat data reveal. At the end of 2024 the cost was nearly four times as high as at the beginning of 2021.
EU Countries Spent Close to €7bn on Russian LNG in 2024 Europe cannot shake its addiction to Russian liquefied natural gas. Throughout 2024 EU members purchased liquefied gas from Russia worth almost €7bn. Some member states continue to spend more on their purchases of Russian LNG than they provide in military aid to Ukraine.
Russia’s Novatek Eyes India as Market for Sanctioned Arctic LNG Russian liquefied natural gas producer Novatek continues to scour the globe for potential buyers of sanctioned gas from its Arctic LNG 2 project. At an energy conference the company now attempted to make inroads on the Indian market.
Germany Can’t Shake Russian Gas: LNG Purchases from Arctic Yamal Project Skyrocket 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.
Ten EU Member States Urge Ban on Russian Liquefied Natural Gas Ramping Up Pressure on Yamal LNG A coalition of ten EU member states is urging Brussels to take steps to ban or at a minimum begin phasing out Russian liquefied natural gas imports. Pressure on Russian oil and gas is at an all time high following U.S. sanctions against dozens of Arctic tankers and two LNG plants.
Ten EU Member States Urge Ban on Russian Liquefied Natural Gas Ramping Up Pressure on Yamal LNG A coalition of ten EU member states is urging Brussels to take steps to ban or at a minimum begin phasing out Russian liquefied natural gas imports. Pressure on Russian oil and gas is at an all time high following U.S. sanctions against dozens of Arctic tankers and two LNG plants.
EU Imports More Russian LNG in 2024 Than Ever Before, Mostly From Arctic While the EU’s imports of liquefied natural gas from around the world decreased by 20 percent, deliveries from Russia set a new record in 2024. An increasing amount of Russian LNG is now sold on the spot market. Traders prefer cheaper Russian LNG rather than buying from the U.S. or elsewhere.
Russian Arctic LNG Carrier Out of Commission Following Maintenance Struggles, Underscores Key Role of EU Yards Russia’s fleet of ice-capable LNG carriers keeps the gas flowing to Europe. But now one of the vessels,Christophe de Margerie,is out of commission as it struggles to receive maintenance and spare parts in European shipyards.
Cargo Shipment from Belgium to Russia Highlights Continued Flow of LNG Technology from EU A cargo delivery from Antwerp in Belgium to Novatek’s Yamal LNG plant in the Russian Arctic raises questions about the effectiveness of EU sanctions. The Antwerp shipment is part of a much larger problem. By some accounts European companies have supplied more $600m worth of equipment to Russia since the beginning of the war.
Germany Rejects Vessel Carrying Russian Arctic LNG, But Continues Indirect Imports Via EU Neighbors Germany’s Ministry of the Economy instructed a state-owned LNG terminal operator to reject a shipment of Russian Arctic liquefied natural gas. The decision affirms the country’s position to not directly import Russian gas via pipeline or as LNG. But German imports of the country’s gas continue indirectly via the continent’s gas network.
EU Efforts to Reduce Russian LNG Ring Hollow as Imports Reach New High The EU and its member states remain unable to control the inflow of Russian liquefied natural gas. Despite voluntary measures and repeated discussions in Brussels, imports have now reached new record highs. The upcoming transshipment ban in March 2025 could inadvertently further increase imports.
Russia Still Second Largest Gas Provider to EU, After Norway, with LNG Imports Increasing Despite the EU’s efforts to phase out imports of Russian LNG, the super-chilled gas from the Arctic continues to flow unabated into the continent. Imports have increased by 11 percent during the first half of 2024 new data show, with Russia now the second-largest supplier.
Safety Takes a Backseat as Russia’s LNG ‘Shadow Fleet’ Operates in Arctic Without Permits As Russia continues to expand its liquefied natural gas shadow fleet to bypass sanctions, maritime safety in the Arctic is increasingly falling by the wayside. Several aging LNG vessels traveled through the Arctic without applying for or receiving Northern Sea Route permits, likely in an effort to obscure their illegitimate activities.
How Danish and French Yards Keep Russia's LNG Fleet Afloat Russian LNG continues to flow into Europe at record levels. Two shipyards in France and Denmark provide key dry dock services to keep the Yamal LNG fleet maintained. Since February 2022, 14 out of 15 ice-class LNG vessels in service of the project have traveled to either Damen Shiprepair in France or Fayard A/S in Denmark.
EU Bans Resale of Russian LNG, Impacts Remain to be Seen After much debate and wrangling the EU and its member states are set to sanction the transshipment of Russian liquefied natural gas in EU ports. It will take months for the impact of the ban, which is suggested to come into effect in March 2025, to become apparent. In anticipation of sanctions Novatek has begun assembling a growing fleet of LNG carriers.
Sanctions Catch up with Red Box Shipping as CEO Quits Company The tide continues to turn for heavy lift vessel operator Red Box and its co-founder and CEO Philip Adkins. Following designation by the U.S. treasury for continuing to do business with Russia last month, Mr. Adkins has called it quits.
EU Receives 100 Shipments of LNG and Gas Condensate from Yamal LNG Project Russia continues to send nearly the entirety of LNG and gas condensate production from Yamal LNG to Europe. Throughout the first 120 days of 2024, EU member states took delivery of almost 100 shipments – each valued in the range of USD 40 million.
EU Looking to Pass 14th Sanctions Package End of June, Including Partial Ban on Russian LNG The pathway for the 14th EU sanctions package and related measures against Russia’s liquefied natural gas sector continues to materialize. European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson expressed optimism that the measures could be agreed upon by the end of June.
Upcoming EU Sanctions Look Set To Block Transshipment of Russian LNG, But Allow Imports The EU looks set to target existing Russian production of liquefied natural gas for the first time as part of the upcoming 14th sanction package. While previous sanctions focused on inhibiting future LNG projects, attention could now begin to shift to already producing facilities.
EC Expected To Propose Partial Ban of Russian LNG as Kremlin Issues Strong Rebuke Following recent calls by Swedish and German officials to move toward restricting the inflow of Russian liquefied natural gas the European Commission has now taken up the issue. In discussions with member states the EU is suggesting a ban on transshipments.
EU Parliament Approves Rules for National Bans of Russian LNG, Fails to Address Transshipments EU institutions took another step to phasing out the import of Russian liquefied natural gas. Arctic LNG from Novatek’s Yamal LNG project continues to flow unimpeded to Europe. Now the EU Parliament has put in place rules allowing member states to restrict imports. But to what degree countries will make use of the new rules remains uncertain.
EU Parliament Approves Rules for National Bans of Russian LNG, Fails to Address Transshipments EU institutions took another step to phasing out the import of Russian liquefied natural gas. Arctic LNG from Novatek’s Yamal LNG project continues to flow unimpeded to Europe. Now the EU Parliament has put in place rules allowing member states to restrict imports. But to what degree countries will make use of the new rules remains uncertain.
Germany Continues to Import Russian Natural Gas Through Belgium and the Netherlands Despite stopping direct imports of Russian natural gas in 2022, significant quantities continue to reach Germany via its neighbors new data show. Advocates urge Germany to stop buying Russian fuels and to stop thus indirectly funding its war efforts.
Ukraine Petitions Norway, US, and EU for New Sanctions Against Russian Gas Despite Western sanctions targeting Russia’s energy sector, the country’s LNG exports have increased since 2022. A new Ukrainian petition now calls on officials in Europe and the US to expand sanctions targeting Novatek’s Yamal LNG and Arctic LNG 2 projects.
EU Countries Continue to Import $1bn of Russian Arctic LNG Every Month Almost two years into the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, European countries continue to import Russian Arctic liquefied natural gas at record levels. A new report details how LNG now constitutes the primary Russian fossil fuel purchased by the EU, sending more than $1bn per month to the country.
New Lifecycle Assessment for Greenhouse Gases from LNG Spells Bad News for Emissions from Arctic Projects Liquefied natural gas may not be as clean as previously thought, a new study finds. While liquefied gas is often heralded as a less dirty alternative to coal, its lifetime emissions exceed those from coal, the new data suggest. The report gives special emphasis to methane emissions from the transport of liquefied natural gas, a finding relevant to Arctic LNG projects.
New Lifecycle Assessment for Greenhouse Gases from LNG Spells Bad News for Emissions from Arctic Projects Liquefied natural gas may not be as clean as previously thought, a new study finds. While liquefied gas is often heralded as a less dirty alternative to coal, its lifetime emissions exceed those from coal, the new data suggest. The report gives special emphasis to methane emissions from the transport of liquefied natural gas, a finding relevant to Arctic LNG projects.
Massive Floating LNG Storage Hub Arrives in Kamchatka in Far East With the second gas transfer hub now in place Russia’s Novatek appears set to further economize the transport scheme of its liquefied natural gas exports from the Arctic to Europe and Asia. Transshipment hubKoryak FSUarrived in Bechevinskaya Bay after a three week tow from South Korea.
EU Received 300 Shipments of LNG from Russia Since Beginning of Ukraine War EU countries, led by Belgium, France, and Spain, have imported Russian LNG representing approximately $20 billion in revenue, since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Data show the pace of deliveries from the Yamal LNG project in 2023 is on track to match and possibly surpass last year’s totals.
EU Begins Consultations to Curb Inflow of Russian LNG Following earlier calls by the EU Commission and member states to begin limiting imports of Russian liquefied natural gas, discussions on the issue began last week as part of a broader gas package.
The Netherlands to Phase Out Russian Arctic LNG Following the UK earlier in 2023, the Netherlands has begun phasing out liquefied natural gas from the Russian Arctic. This leaves Belgium, France and Spain as the main importers of LNG from the country.
EU Proposes Measures to Block Import of Russian Arctic LNG After sanctioning the import of most pipeline gas from Russia, the EU is now beginning to target the flow of Russian LNG into the bloc. EU member states increased consumption of Arctic LNG by 50 percent since the beginning of sanctions. A new proposal would allow EU member states to block the import of LNG.
Arctic Shipping Requires Large-Scale Dredging with Unknown Impacts on the Environment Shipping in the Russian Arctic relies on vast dredging operations to deepen shallow coastal areas and passages along the Northern Sea Route. As a result of sanctions western dredging operators have withdrawn from Russia raising questions if shipping routes can be maintained. And the effects of large-scale dredging on the environment are largely unknown, scientists caution.
Massive LNG Storage Ship To Travel Up Norwegian Coast to Russian Arctic Novatek’s first floating storage unit will arrive in the Barents Sea within a month of setting off a busy choreography of LNG tankers traveling up and down along Norway’s coastline. The unit has capacity to transship 20m tons of LNG per year.
