Obtain free EU power updates
We’ll ship you a myFT Each day Digest e mail rounding up the most recent EU power information each morning.
Belgium’s power minister has urged the EU to curb imports of Russian fuel by weaning itself off fossil fuels after a report confirmed that her nation was among the many world’s greatest recipients of liquefied pure fuel due to its standing as a transit hub.
Tinne Van der Straeten instructed the Monetary Instances it was “completely mandatory” that the bloc met its purpose of weaning itself off Russian fossil fuels by 2027 to stop it “being held hostage” by Moscow.
In keeping with figures analysed by International Witness, the NGO, the EU is ready to import file volumes of liquefied pure fuel from Russia this 12 months as a part of its effort to diversify away from piped provides, which have been steadily minimize by Moscow following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine final February.
Belgium is the third-biggest importer of Russian LNG globally, taking 17 per cent of the nation’s exports of the gas, behind solely China and Spain, International Witness mentioned.
Russia has develop into the bloc’s second-biggest provider of LNG after the US, with its exports accounting for 16 per cent of the EU’s provides between January and July, figures from trade knowledge firm Kpler confirmed.
Van der Straeten mentioned she was “not pleased with the truth that Russian LNG remains to be flowing into the EU and thru Belgium”. She famous that solely 2.8 per cent of the imports went to Belgian customers whereas the remainder transited to different international locations.
The Belgian port of Zeebrugge is a serious hub for the transshipment of LNG. Germany and the Netherlands had been amongst these importing the gas from Belgium, Van der Straeten mentioned.
The extent of Russian LNG imports has raised questions over whether or not Brussels ought to impose sanctions on the gas, because it has for Russian crude oil and sure petroleum merchandise. EU officers have mentioned discussions on this may very well be held in future however that extra work must be executed to seek out different power sources.
Kadri Simson, the EU’s power commissioner, mentioned in March that the bloc “ought to eliminate Russian fuel utterly as quickly as doable, nonetheless conserving in thoughts our safety of provide”.
Belgium supported imposing sanctions on the gas, Van der Straeten mentioned. However such a transfer was unlikely because it required the help of all EU international locations, she added.
“The simplest factor that we will do . . . is to wean ourselves off fossil fuels usually and ensure . . . that we will management power ourselves,” she mentioned.
The Inexperienced politician was talking forward of the opening in Belgium of the EU’s first main thermal battery set up, a method of capturing warmth from solar energy and storing it to be used on demand fairly than counting on the climate.
The undertaking at adhesive producer Avery Dennison’s plant within the Belgian metropolis of Turnhout is a component funded by the Flemish regional authorities and Brussels. It should permit the corporate to chop annual fuel use on the manufacturing unit by 9 per cent on common, the corporate mentioned. It might completely change fuel throughout the hottest months.
The know-how is seen as a manner for heavy industrial customers to chop their fossil gas use with out counting on dearer methods comparable to renewable hydrogen or carbon seize that require a lot bigger infrastructure networks.
“Relying on the place you’re on the planet, this could already be [cost] aggressive with fuel ,” mentioned Christian Thiel, chief govt of Norwegian firm Energynest, which designed the undertaking.
Thermal battery initiatives are additionally being established within the US. The mining firm Rio Tinto and petroleum producer Saudi Aramco are amongst people who lately invested in a $60mn funding spherical for Californian start-up Rondo Vitality, which is piloting its personal thermal battery know-how.
Avery Dennison and Energynest didn’t disclose the general funding for the Belgian undertaking however mentioned the EU had given €1.43mn in funding to help 70 per cent of the thermal battery part.
