Germany has banned ports from receiving Russian gas tankers

The German Ministry of Economic Affairs has ordered state-owned import terminals to refuse supplies of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia, the Financial Times reports.

The agency ordered Deutsche Energy Terminal “not to accept any deliveries of Russian LNG… for further communication.”

Germany, before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, was the largest importer of Russian gas in Europe. Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government accelerated the search for alternatives and built a series of terminals for importing LNG by sea.

The ministry noted that allowing such supplies is contrary to the purpose of creating the terminals – ensuring the independence of Germany and the EU from Russian gas. Germany has not imported Russian LNG since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the ministry’s guidance “ensures that this remains unchanged.”

The USA and Great Britain introduced a ban on Russian LNG, the EU continues to import this type of fuel – 20% of Europe’s LNG supplies come from Russia.

Most Russian LNG goes to France, Spain and Belgium under long-term contracts that companies cannot refuse unless a complete ban is introduced.

German state-owned energy company Sefe has a long-term contract to supply LNG from the Russian plant in Yamal, while almost all of this volume is sent to an import terminal in France.

There the LNG turns into a gaseous state and enters the European gas pipeline system. From October 2022, Germany starts receiving pipeline gas from France.

Earlier, President Vladimir Zelensky said that Russia earns $10-12 billion per month from the shadow fleet.