Netherlands still importing liquefied natural gas from Russia

The Netherlands imported 12 percent of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia in the first three months of this year, NOS reports based on figures from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA). The European Union will ban the import of LNG from Russia starting in early 2027.

The Netherlands is one of five EU countries that still imported LNG from Russia in the past quarter. The others are Spain (26 percent), France (35 percent), Belgium (40 percent), and Portugal (11 percent). How much of the Russian LNG is actually used in the Netherlands is hard to say. A significant amount of LNG is also transported through the port of Rotterdam.

The EU decided to ban the import of LNG from Russia starting in early 2027. In the autumn of next year, the intention is to also ban the import of gas via pipelines. EU Member States are already not allowed to conclude new contracts for importing gas from Russia, but gas can still come from that country through long-term contracts.

The EU significantly reduced its dependence on Russian gas after the country invaded Ukraine in 2022. The complete ban is only set for 2027 because Europe needed time to build up sufficient capacity to import gas from other parts of the world.

The closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to the war in Iran may throw a spanner in the works, Jilles van den Beukel of the Hague Centre for Strategic Studies told NOS. "I wouldn't be surprised if Brussels pushed back the ban date further because of this."

It’s a dilemma for the EU, Van den Beukel said. "On the one hand, you don't want to make the LNG market even tighter—and therefore more expensive—but on the other hand, you don't want to fill Putin's war chest either."