EU commissioner sees Lithuania’s dependence on Russian electrical energy as main drawback

“Gasoline doesn’t represent a weak level for Lithuania, contemplating the LNG [liquefied natural gas] terminal. However dependence on electrical energy is a serious drawback in Lithuania. On this case, it’s essential to implement synchronization as quickly as potential as it’s the largest drawback of Lithuania,” he instructed BNS on Tuesday after the European Fee proposed measures anticipated to scale back the European Union’s (EU) dependency on Russian fuel by two-thirds by the tip of the 12 months.

In response to the commissioner, the target set out by the Fee could be achieved by buying fuel from different markets in addition to by dashing up, as a lot as potential, the transition from fossil fuels to different sources of power.

“To begin with, Russian fuel ought to be eradicated from the European Union’s market as quickly as potential, that’s for certain. Nonetheless, this have to be achieved whereas guaranteeing the soundness of the power system and satisfactory costs for customers and whereas implementing the local weather change targets concurrently,” Sinkevicius mentioned.

The commissioner singled out infrastructure and, extra particularly, capacities to obtain LNG cargoes, because the weakest factor within the transition to different sources of fuel imports.

In response to Sinkevicius, the sources of fuel imports that had been being thought-about included america or Qatar, which may ship LNG cargoes, in addition to Azerbaijan, Algeria and Norway, which may provide fuel to Europe by pipelines. Nonetheless, the EU may solely get half of the mandatory fuel quantity from such sources.

“A very powerful right here is to have the place to ship that fuel from and that’s not a easy activity. Dependence on Russia exceeds 155 billion cubic meters. Now, once we are speaking in regards to the different from america and Qatar, the quantity of liquefied fuel from there may attain roughly 50 billion [cubic meters] plus an additional 10 billion [cubic meters] from Azerbaijan, Algeria, Norway and maybe extra 10 billion cubic meters from these international locations after adopting varied selections,” he mentioned.

The Fee’s proposal additionally known as for 90 p.c of fuel storage capability within the EU to be stuffed by October 1, the commissioner acknowledged.

“The Fee is able to assist member states fill their fuel storage services, as an example, via joint procurements, assortment of orders, coordination of provide,” Sinkevicius added.

The European Fee on Tuesday set out the target to scale back the Union’s dependence on fuel imports from Russia by two-thirds by the tip of this 12 months and to make the EU totally impartial of Russian fuel, oil and coal by 2030.