(NewsGlobal.com)- According to the International Energy Agency, with Russia cutting the supply of natural gas to the European Union, in June, the EU was receiving more liquified natural gas from the United States than it did from Russia for the first time.
The EU has been heavily dependent on Russian natural gas imports for heating and electricity. But Russia’s recent cuts in the flow of natural gas to the EU means in June, the EU was receiving more liquified natural gas from the US than Russia.
In other words, the United States isn’t sending more LNG to the EU than before; Russia is simply sending less.
The problem is, the supply of natural gas from the United States won’t be enough to avoid shortages in Europe, especially as we enter winter. The steep cuts in supply from Russia has the European Union bracing for likely rationing and shortages during the winter months.
Germany halted work on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in February after Russia invaded Ukraine.
Compounding the problem for Europe is the scheduled annual maintenance of the Nord Stream pipeline that will halt the supply of natural gas for two weeks this month. Between the Nord Stream maintenance and the reduction in supply from Russia, the EU is desperate to find alternative sources of natural gas.
The US is the world’s largest producer of natural gas. About 1/3 of the United States’ primary energy consumption is natural gas supplies. It is primarily used for heating and generating electricity.
The natural gas used in the United States is delivered in its gaseous form through pipelines while the natural gas exported to the international market is in liquified form.
But US exports to Europe won’t be enough to get them through the winter while Russia is cutting supply.
Russia’s reduction in the flow of natural gas to European Union countries will remove about 35 billion cubic meters of gas from the EU market this year.
