Czech Rep secures Dutch LNG import capacity
The Czech Republic has secured 3bn m3 of annual regasification capacity at a planned LNG import terminal due to come online later this year in the Netherlands, in an effort to wean itself off Russian supply, Czech industry minister Jozef Sikela said on July 19.
The capacity is at a floating LNG terminal under development in the Dutch port of Eemshaven. The project, led by Dutch grid operator Gasunie, is due to receive a floating storage and regasification unit from Exmar in early August. It will have an overall regasification capacity of 8bn m3/yr, of which a further 4bn m3/yr has been booked by Shell.
Accessing capacity at the terminal will enable the Czech Republic to reduce its Russian gas imports by a third, Sikela said, adding that his ministry had arranged the booking in cooperation with Czech energy group CEZ. CEZ has also secured transport capacity so that the gas can reach Czech consumers, the minister said.
CEZ is negotiating with various LNG suppliers to secure as much gas as possible ahead of the upcoming heating season, he said.
Europe is on high alert over the risk of a complete cut-off in Russian gas supply, which has already fallen to a record low over recent months, with European leaders accusing Moscow of trying to destabilise the continent's energy system in an attempt to force concessions in the Ukraine conflict.
The EU has mandated that member states fill their gas storage facilities to at least 80% capacity by October 1 in order to ward off the risk of shortages in winter in the event of a Russian supply cut-off, but Russian reductions in flow to date have made the task much harder. Storage utilisation in the Czech Republic is relatively high already, though, at 75%.